V5 Chapter 15 Strange people

Philomel concluded as she took a fighting stance and shook her head at Lenny. Informing him she wasn't going to back down until she got what she came for.

" Very well then, with heaven's eyes as my witness. Let it not be said that I didn't give you a chance to back off."

Lenny nodded as he held his sword with both his hands. Philomel instantly felt the air around him change, immediately making her regret her decision. She swallowed hard, the lump of nerves stuck in her throat refused to go down.

"Just 3 minutes or maybe 5 minutes."

Philomel reminded herself, trying to bring some comfort as she got down on the ground. Both hands stretched out on the ground, and both her feet were arched along with her back. Her sky-blue eyes shimmered with determination as it locks on his hazel brown eye. Lenny couldn't help but compare Philomel to a jaguar, he once fought in the jungles of Eclipse. (The holy country of the light elves, a place where the Grand Tree is. Legends foretold that tree was the birthplace of all elves.)

" At least she doesn't have killer teeth."

Lenny mused as he smiled to himself. Extremely glad Philomel wasn't a real jaguar with a mouthful of fangs. Just a girl with good reflexes and flexibility. Philomel launched herself at him and Lenny immediately turn his blade, watching her hands, ready to block her attacks. Unfortunately for him, Philomel wasn't planning on a direct attack. She steps onto his wrist, smashing her heel right onto the jewel in his wristband before doing a flip over his blade and kicking the back of his shoulders hard with both her feet, landing on her hands and then flipping herself, right way up.

Lenny fell face-first into the ground, completely surprised at such a move. His hand immediately touches his wristband, feeling extremely glad that the thin barrier around the jewel, withstood her kick. He quickly turns around just in time to block Philomel's dagger. Philomel clicks her tongue in annoyance when she realizes that the barrier was still up and flips herself over Lenny. She lands next to her second dagger, picking it up with a swift movement while returning her hidden blade back into the slot of her glove.

" You're light on your feet, ever thought of joining the circus? I'm sure they would welcome you with open arms. It probably even offers a better lifestyle than a thief. "

Lenny suggested, truly believing that it was a great idea as he pushes himself, vertically back up onto his feet. Sadly, Philomel took his suggestion as a form of a mocking joke which pissed her off even more. She feint a left then flipped onto her hands, swinging her legs in a circular formation. With one sweep of her leg, she knocks Lenny off his feet with the other her heel slams into his stomach, pushing his whole body down onto the ground. She then flips onto her feet landing/stomping on Lenny's stomach before flipping off again to a safe distance.

" Ooooh."

The mage exclaimed with applause, entertained by this show of a battle. Philomel shot Estrella a dirty look as she crouched on the ground, panting heavily.

" You really like sweeping me off my feet, huh?"

Lenny causally comments as he slowly gets back up, knowing that he is nothing more than Philomel's punching bag until she lost her speed.

" Hey! Your dream come true! Weren't you complaining about how you want to be swept off your feet?"

Estrella happily points out as she popped another strawberry into her mouth. She was clearly having a small picnic on the sidelines while enjoying the battle.

" I meant romantically not literally."

Lenny explained as he sheathed his sword finding it useless against Philomel's speed.

" Then you're halfway there?"

Her comment sounded more like a question as she gave Lenny an unsure smile with a shrug. Lenny could only let out a long exhausting sigh as he shook his head, disapprovingly at her. To even suggest for him to consider a weak follower of their goddess who has been blinded by greed and desperation, not to mention a common thief, as a potential mate? That was so far from his image of an ideal mate that it might as well be from a different universe.

"Girls, always letting their imagination go wild and pairing people up with just anyone. All because they look cute together."

Lenny shook his head at the thought as his gaze returns back to the battle. Just to realize Philomel was no longer where he last saw her. Lenny immediately starts scanning the area, wondering where she could have disappeared to. A black veil fell from above drifting down toward him, catching his attention and making him look up. Philomel suddenly appeared above him, her arms circling around his neck, her knees digging into Lenny's lower back, coiling herself around his body. She pushed against his back, using the leverage to help her chokehold have a tighter grip, around his neck. Lenny's eyes widen in shock at such a move as cracks slowly start to appear on his blue translucent barrier.

"She's actually breaking the barrier!"

The thought flashed through Lenny's mind. A smile suddenly appears on Lenny's lips as he finally notices his heart beating rapidly while the blood in his veins boiled from excitement. He reaches a hand over his back, grabbing Philomel by the collar. Philomel's head immediately ducks down onto Lenny's shoulder as she tightened her grip around his neck even more.

*Cracking sound*

White lines appeared all around his neck as the barrier threatened to break. Lenny pulled her by her collar and just as he did, she used his own pull against him and broke the barrier.

*Glass shattering sound*

Sparks of blue fell upon them. He finally felt her hot breath against his ear which send shivers down his spine. Only then did he notice how close her face was to his, her beautiful blue eyes shimmering against the sunlight, her high ponytail, swaying along with the breeze. He finally could feel her warm arms circling around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

" *Panting* *panting*"

The sound of her heavy breathing filled his mind along with his pounding heartbeat. Lenny found that he couldn't tear his gaze from her fair flustered cheeks as blue sparks of his broken barrier lit up her soft pink lips. Lenny wanted to gasp at such a beautiful sight but then couldn't for all the air was knocked out of his lungs.

"Why did I even consider pulling such a beautiful woman off of me?"

He finds himself wondering as his eyes started watering up and his arm lost strength. Reality soon came crashing back down on Lenny. As he finally realizes that he had no breath, water eyes, and no strength because Philomel was currently choking the life out of him. Thanks to that, he finally recalled the reason he was trying to pull her off in the first place.

Lenny summons the strength and pulls Philomel higher above him. Her grip on his neck loosens from being held at such an angle and he slips out from under her hands by pulling her forward above him.

" *Strain gasping*"

He sharply inhales and he coughs at the sudden inflow of air. Philomel kicks his back as many times in a minute as she could, squirming against his grip on her. Both her hands try to pry open his grip on her collar. Lenny found her attacks, more annoying rather than painful since Philomel couldn't summon, any more strength to hit hard, after wasting all, her energy on that choke hold.

Lenny lifts her toward his side, his free hand wrapping around her legs as he shifted his hold on her into a princess carry. Lenny gazes into her vibrant blue eye and watched her bite her lush lower pink lip in frustration.

" You have lost this battle. You no longer have the energy to go on and you lost your only advantage of speed. Please yield, I do not wish to fight you."

Lenny calmly stated as he finds his eyes locked on her lips. Philomel's hand hits the button on her gloves, and her hidden blade springs out of its slot, revealing itself as it reflects the sunlight against its sharp blade.

" No, you have lost this battle."

Her determined soft voice chimed in Lenny's mind as he finds Philomel holding the hidden blade to his neck.

"Why are all the interesting girls, always so violent?"

Lenny thought with a heavy sigh as he drops Philomel into his shoes to soften the blow. Philomel fell on his shoes, feeling more annoyed, rather than hurt. Lenny pulls his feet from under her and moves a safe distance from her.

" You're exhausted and I haven't even started yet. You lost this battle please yield and make your escape."

Lenny repeated his point as he silently hoped that the mystery skillful thief would reveal why she was so determined to steal from them. Was she that desperate? Or was it the high price their magical items would fetch? Either way, now Lenny was invested in uncovering the reason.

" Mel!"

A voice suddenly called out from the bushes as Amon came running toward her.

" Mel..."

Lenny softly muttered the name to himself, engraving it into his memory.

" Thank goodness you're alright!!"

Amon exclaimed before noticing Lenny and pointing his spear at him.

" Are you a comrade of this fellow thief?"

Lenny questioned as he stared at Amon's feet, noticing the bandages on both legs and sensing the healing magic on them. Amon jolted in shock for a moment. Utterly confused why the Holy Knight wasn't attacking him and trying to kill him on sight. He turns to Philomel with an inquisitive expression. Philomel was so exhausted, that she was more interested in gasping for breath, rather than talking, and just tapping the clay on her face. Amon's eyes light up with a knowing spark as he turns back to Lenny.

" Yes! I am and I have ... just returned from stealing from a different couple. Now hand over all you own or prepare for battle."

Amon demanded as his mind wondered if they could just talk their way out of this since the Holy Knight thought they were both light elves.

" We have no intention of fighting you but we won't be handling anything over. It really pains me to be fighting my own brethren, misguided or not."

Lenny repeated again, truly not wanting to fight a man while his legs were still healing. Hoping that this new person would see things his way and just leave.

" That's very courteous of you."

Amon awkwardly comments as he rubs the back of his neck. Extremely confused why would anyone let thieves who just tried to rob them, escape? True that they were the same race or in this case believed to be the same race but even so, why would anyone in the right mind do so? Was this Holy Knight crazy? Amon found himself wondering.

" Why are you looking at me like that? Is it so unbelievable that I am willing to let you two walk free?"

Lenny questioned finding it slightly annoying to be stared at with such huge disbelieving marron eyes.

" Well, no one has treated us this nicely since we're... thieves."

Amon admits in a twisted way.

" Surely, not everyone treats you rudely."

" I don't know about you but I have been treated like an outcast almost my whole life. It's also what lead me here... in the first place... to... become a thief. "

Amon muttered. Lenny's heart sank as he was once again reminded not everyone was as lucky as him to receive such support and care.

" Even in your own thief guild?"

" Even there, there's no honor among thieves."

" Would it be uncomfortable if I asked for both of your names?"

" Umm... I guess not. I'm Amon and this is Philomel."

Amon introduced with a waving hand.

" Aren't those dark elves' names?"

Estrella questioned, wanting to be a part of the conversation.

" Yes, they are. The perfect names for outcasts like us... aren't... they?"

Amon awkwardly points out, hoping that the Holy party of two won't notice their bluff.

" Well, I hope one day our goddess would lead you out of the darkness and down a good path. I shall pray for it to be so."

Lenny said as he turned to Estrella who was packed and ready to go. Amon felt speechless and unsure of what to feel or how to even respond to something like this.

" Amon."

Lenny called out from over his shoulder.

" Yes?"

" I'm Lenny and this is Estrella. I hope that you'll drop by and steal from us sometime."

Amon couldn't help be grin at such a preposterous thing.

" I might take you up on that, more often than you think."

" Please do."

Lenny nodded towards both Philomel and Amon silently saying goodbye before he turn to leave.

" Cya around! I hope our next meeting would be as fun as this one!"

Estrella chimed as she waves at them with such hype energy. Amon could only awkwardly wave back as he thought what a strange pair of elves they were.

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