No Prince Charming... But Princess Charming?!

Once you realize it's an illusion, fairy illusions are always easier to see through. I put my hand on Kall's arm to stop him at the edge of the light curtain separating reality and the area covered with the fairy illusion. Sounds were still gone, and it'd be wiser to not let the attackers know we are going at them.

I called the light to ask for help. A warm, calming feeling filled me as the light element answered me. I made a hole in the curtain to peek at what is going inside.

Feeling Kall is clenching his fists as his arm under my touch hardened, and the red anger releasing from his heart made me tighten my grip. ''We shouldn't act recklessly,'' I said to myself since he couldn't hear. Though the scene wasn't near nice or making it easy to keep my calm.

Hermes's bow and arrows were scattered around. His back was on a tree as he was avoiding attacks of three pointed-eared humanoid creatures. They might seem just like humans while standing and smiling, but right now, there was nothing humane in their way of moving their limbs or in their wicked smiles.

They were both as gentle and fascinating as a ballet performance and as ferocious as hyenas tearing apart their prey. Hermes tilted his head to avoid a rapier's thrust aimed at his eye and used the wind to misguide a throwing knife as he swing the short blade in his hand to dodge the third fairy's spear.

''Long distance weapons never work on this asshole, how annoying,'' said one of the attacking fairies. She was the only female one.

''So the muting spell doesn't work there,'' I thought.

Hermes let out a cracked laugh, ''True, why don't you come closer to take a bite? Don't be such a coward.''

Grimacing, ''I won't take a step towards you unless it's to spit on your dead body,'' the fairy said.

His answer was interrupted by a throwing knife that aimed toward his face. Upon paying attention, I realized that the blades were actually icicles. The female elf was a sorcerer.

Though Hermes wasn't in an awful condition, the situation wasn't hopeful. His only obvious injury was a slight cut on his cheek, but two fairies were attacking him in close distance, yet never close enough to give him a chance to counterattack. They were playing safe. Hermes was doomed to make a mistake eventually and when he did, they were going to take him down.

The female fairy was watching them as she keep an eye on the surroundings. We had no chance to skip or avoid her to surprise the other two. I looked at Kall. He had a war hammer on his back, but how much he was capable to use it? He wasn't a warrior to start with.

The fox sighed in my mind. ''You have no other choice, girl.''

It was right. I opened the pack stuffed with potions and gave him all physical feature related ones. ''Drink,'' I said moving my lips.

''I need a plan. Fae warriors are nothing like the thugs in the town,'' I said, hoping maybe the fox could help somehow.

''Umm... I say let's run away. He is not the only hot archer, you know?''

I knew that wasn't a situation I can make out alive by myself, in a forest full of not really friendly fairies. Shaking my head, I turned at Kall. His pupils were large and his breathing was fast. The rebound of overbuffing won't be nice, I thought, but this wasn't my prior concern. My prior concern was to survive, preferably with Hermes.

I pointed to Kall, then Hermes. He nodded. I pointed to the female mage with one hand, and put my other hand on my chest. Narrowing his eyebrows, he looked suspicious but still nodded.

I took a deep breath and touched the tear-shaped gem on my new tiara. It was costly, but elven magic was reliable. A halo made of golden light appeared in the sky as I activated the tiara's spell. I pointed Kall to go as all of them were still in a daze, gazing at the sky.

The mage was first to notice Kall so she became the first target of the first spear of light from the halo. This spear's effect was paralyzing for four seconds and I was only able to use a spear per ten seconds.

''So this is what it is used for,'' the fox said. ''I'm disappointed.''

''It's just to store and manage my energy. I have an affinity to the light and I know quite a few spells about it, but I don't have enough energy to perform them. This was the best choice. There's no way I could compete with a real sorcerer though.''

Four seconds wasn't enough to save Hermes, but it was enough for Kall to pass the mage with his buffed speed. It was two versus two now over that side. I hoped that Hermes to take a fairy down and help Kall since he could focus on his opponent now, not just on avoiding and dodging.

''How are you planning to keep the mage busy? You said can't compete with a real sorcerer,'' said the fox.

''I can't compete with her. However, she is obviously a wary type. She kept her distance even when Hermes was surrounded by the other two. She wouldn't use everything she has without solving what is the shiny halo hanging on her.''

''That's only your guessing.''

''That's my best.''

As the mage recovered from paralyzing, she took a short glance at Hermes, Kall, and the two fairies but let them be and frowned as she look up to the sky.

''Seems like she decided that the unknown mage is a more dangerous threat,'' the fox said.

I sighed as the fairy mage started her spell to explore surroundings for the owner of the halo. ''That was the target, isn't it?''

Glancing at the other side, I saw Hermes catching the spear user's spear and using his short blade to cut his opponent's hand holding spear. His opponent had a kind of metal gloves so it didn't damage enough to drop the spear, but it made his moves less focused and more painful for him.

Kall wasn't skillful as the rapier user but he was bigger, stronger, faster, and tougher at the moment. His attacks were clumsier but he wasn't going to die any time soon. Who cares about a skull-cracking headache and not being able to keep anything in your stomach afterward if it makes you overpower your opponent, right?

I felt nauseous as the mage's explore spell passes over me. Sending a second spear to paralyze her once more, I ran to change my location.

''Boooriiiing, isn't there else that halo can do?''

''There are different spears, but I'm trying to gain time for Hermes and Kall to finish the fairies. Then we can focus on the mage together.''

Unable to move or cast spells, the mage's expression darkened. She started to cast the spell as soon as she is able to do it at the spot she found me. I was going to paralyze her and ran when she find me, that was the plan.

Then, I saw the rapier user thrusting to Kall's heart as Kall lifted his arms to attack with his war hammer. His torso was clear open. If he dies now, Hermes would be against two fae warriors again, and he couldn't help me, they were going to kill him, the mage was going to kill me.

I sent a spear to the rapier user. Kall's hammer landed on the man and probably cracked his skull. The mage's spell found me.

''I have no way to stop her.'' I gulped.

''My condolences. You were a... 'meh' degree succubus.''

Covering myself with the light element, I saw that Hermes and Kall were about to finish the last fae warrior. The mage was gathering her cold aura and turning them into blades of ice.

''It will be a wide ranged attack,'' I said in my mind. ''Running would be useless.'' The layer of light covering my body would be unable to stop physical attacks, but I was hoping that it'll help with an elemental attack.

''It's sad that you don't have an affinity with the earth,'' the fox said. ''You'd better pray for your armor to worth for Hermes and his brother to argue. Just joking. Nobody is going to hear your prayers. Hehe.''