20 Farenlite Under Attack (1)

The villagers were successfully in making a barricade. They have also manned the ways going in and out of the village. The sun was just about to set and the villagers are at their designated stations ready for any goblin attack that will come their way.

Hilna and I are atop the church tower well the bell is located. This spot is a good vantage point for us to see the areas around the village.

We heard hurried footsteps in the stairs leading to the church tower and when we were on our guard we saw Serena emerge from the stairs.

"My ladies!" Serena called out loud. "Is it true, my brother…"

Hilna and I lowered our guard and I saw Hilna sigh and her tension relieved.

"Yes, it is true." Hilna replied. "But do not worry. Vlad and Jacob had gone after him. If they were quick then they could have saved Aslan before he had become troll food."

"D-Do you really think so?" Serena was desperately asking for hope. Her face was so evident of it.

"Do not worry, Serena." I held her hand and squeezed it gently. "If there is someone that could defeat a group of goblins and a troll, that man would be Vlad. I am sure of it."

"Thank you, my lady." Serena sighed in relief. "I am not sure why, but your words gave me solace and hope." I felt her squeeze my hand lightly back.

"Vlad is the strongest man I know." Hilna added. "And with Jacob and Van by his side, the goblins will not have a match against them."

I looked at the horizon and saw something moving. I quickly took the binoculars to have a look and I saw the flag of the duchy of Heathfield. It was the garrison from Wisteria.

"Hilna, look over there!" I pointed out to her.

"They have arrived!" Hilna said with delight. She bolted down the stairs to greet the garrison that would arrive by the barricades.

"I will go and follow as well." I said to Serena. "Can you hold the post for us?"

"Leave it to me." Serena replied with a smile.

"Thank you so much." I handed her the binoculars and made my way down the stairs to the interior of the church and then run outside towards where the entrance to the village was.

Hilna had gone first there and had told the villagers that were guarding the entrance to open the barricade to let the garrison of Wisteria inside.

Not long I see knights on horses coming in one by one inside the village. I can see the smiles of the villagers knowing that help has arrived.

"Father!" I heard Hilna shout.

"My daughter." Her father came down the horse and hugged his daughter that greeted him.

Hilna's father was the captain of the garrison and the Wings of the Phoenix knights. He was as old as the male protagonist's father and had a lean muscular appearance.

"Father, Vlad and Jacob are in the woods." Hilna reported at once. "They tracked the goblins to their nest to try and save Serena's brother Aslan."

"The young lord did what?!" Hilna's father looked worried and a bit disappointed. "They should have known better to wait for our arrival before doing anything. They are foolish to do such a thing."

"But father, Aslan is in danger!" Hilna defended. "If they do not go and save him, he would be troll good any minute now."

"The young lord is the heir to the duchy first and foremost, Hilna!" Her father scolded. "A leader should know when to rush in and when to wait. If he gets injured, by the lord of light, I would not know what his lordship would do!"

Hilna was shocked with her father's words. She turned silent, knowing that her father's words hold the truth.

"If I can give a word, captain." I interjected.

"My lady." Hilna's father bowed to me as affirmation.

"You know how hard Vlad had trained all this years." I said. "You had seen him in action, have you not?"

"Yes my lady, but that doesn't…" Hilna's father was explaining but I had cut him.

"Then believe in him, captain. As you have said he is the heir to the duchy, your future lord. As his subordinate, then you should believe in his power, his capabilities. I believe in him." I said. "He has the power to defeat those goblins. It is not probability but a certainty. I know he could, and he will save Aslan and come back safe and sound."

Hina's father was surprised with my words. I gave him a look that my trust in Vladford is unwavering.

"I am happy to see how your trust in him is unwavering, my lady." Hina's father replied. "It is as you have said, I have seen him grow stronger each passing day. I know of his strength. My words a while ago rooted from worry. Please forgive me." He bowed his head to me sincerely.

"There is no need to apologize, captain." I said. "I only ask that you believe in his strength. He will come back to us."

*CHURCH BELL RINGING*

All of us was caught in attention with the ringing of the church bell. We looked at the church tower and saw Serena shouting something but we were too far to hear. She was pointing on the east direction of the village where the woods borders.

"GOBLINS!" A villager from the church was running towards us. He was panting heavily. "G-Goblins… goblins are marching from the eastern side. A-And they have a troll with them." He said.

"Knights of the Wings of the Phoenix, to your stations!" Hilna's father shouted. "My lady, please found cover." He said and rushed towards the eastern barricade of the village.

"I will come with you m, father." Hilna said. Her father nodded and they both are running to the east barricade. "Find a place to hide, Rose!" She said back to me.

"I place to hide?" I thought and looked at the church tower where we were a while ago.

The church tower can be easily guarded and is a good hiding spot as well as a good vantage point for an archer like me. I ran back to the church and headed for the tower when I met Serena at the entrance.

"Where do you think you are going?" Serena asked with a confused expression. She grabbed my arm to stop me from my tracks. "Come with me and hide with the rest of the women and children."

"I can help." I said and showed her my bow and set of arrows.

"What can you do with what… a dozen or more arrows?" Serena scolded.

I looked at my arrows and she was right. There were only thirty pieces of arrows with me. These are not much if I want to do something that can help. I expected Serena to drag me to the place where the other women and children were hiding and I was a bit reluctant to go. All my friends are out there doing something and I am going somewhere to hide like a lady like me should have. It tears my heart to see the reality of the situation I was in.

"I am coming with you." Serena said which shocked me. "I can make arrows with this."

Serena was holding a mana stone on her hand. It was not just any mana stone but an earth attribute one.

"How did you get that?" I asked in shock.

The mana crystals are the main source of elemental magic that are frequently used in this world. From this big mana crystals, mana stones grow in their vicinity containing the same elemental attribute the big ones have. This small ones can amplify the magic of a person having a similar attribute as the small mana stones has. That is why these mana stones are harvested and are sold with high prices. That is why there are wars being fought to take dominion of the mana crystals. Having one or two in possession does not only make you powerful but also rich. That is why nations in this world are fighting to gain them all.

The earth mana crystal is found in the west continent which the also the royal kingdom of Khadrasil. All three continents are at war with each other, fighting over dominion of the mana crystals, For a person to want to gain mana stones from other dominions, you would have to go to the black market to get. The black market houses many underground merchants that obtain mana stones in illegal ways and sell them at sky rocket prices. The only ones that could purchase such mana stones are those aristocrats that are rich.

"Oh, well you know…" Serena said. "I may know someone from the underground. Keep it a secret just the two of us, okay." She whispered and winked.

"O-Okay." I nodded. It wasn't really my problem how she got the mana stone but it would only be helpful of she has an earth type attribute kind of magic.

"I have wood magic." Serena said. "Aslan and I have the same kind of attributes." It was as if she replied to my silent question.

As Serena put it, she can make me unlimited arrows from her magic.

"Well, what are we waiting for." I said.

The two of us rushed up the stairs and had the door to the church tower shut before us. With Serena's magic, she had thick vines grow on the lever of the door to seal it shut.

"This can prevent unwanted intruders." Serena exclaimed.

"Good thinking." I gave her a thumbs up.

I looked over the eastern side of the village with the binoculars and saw a hoard of goblins coming our way. A huge troll was holding a huge club and was trailing behind the goblins. I handed the binoculars over to Serena so that she could also see what was to come.

"Well I suppose the barricade can't stop that big oaf." Serena said.

"I am afraid so." I replied and gulped.

This is my first time to experience a battle like this first hand. I have faced such foes in video games but not in real life. I should be frightened but apparently I am not. On the contrary I felt some kind of rush inside me. My heart was beating fast but not with fear but with excitement and anticipation.

"Then let them come." I said with pride. "I will not let them kill any of the people here." I positioned my bow and put an arrow and pulled the string to get ready. I closed one of my eyes and aimed with one.

"Leave the refills to me." Serena said.

With the use of the earth mana stone, Serena started to make arrows with her magic. The two of us are ready to stand our ground.