14 The Send Off, Part 11

At the mention of her name she opened her eyes, "...Al...x…" She passed out again, clearly drugged. Alex shook himself out of it and took her from John and laid her on the ground. "Wait, she just said your name, do you know her." Alex raised his hand above her face and a green light emitted from it, "Come on...Come on." He was checking her status, "Alex?" 

It came back clean, no poison. "Thank the gods," he sighed in relief. He looked up, "I'll explain later, just know that whatever happens, you must get her out of here. Do you understand?" He shook his hands, "Wait Alex, I don't," Alex stood up and took him by the shoulders, "Do you understand!" He nodded, "Y-Yes." 

Alex kneeled down and picked her up, "We need to get out of here." In the distance a horn sounded, then some more. The camp went silent and their hearts sank, "They found the bodies." Alex ran out of the gate as fast as he could muster with John in tow. He lept over bushes and barreled through shrubs and thorns. He held Rose tight to him as they ran. It took only a minute of running to get to the Pond. 

Lance and Roswald ran up to them but Alex didn't stop, "Run and don't look back." The two followed his lead, "What did you see in the camp?" Alex talked while they ran, "The bandits are mobilizing a small army. They have military grade weapons and armor. If they catch us, we won't be able to fend them off." He jumped a bush, "All of you listen, whatever happens, you must get this woman out of here. Failure is not an option." 

Lance pushed ahead of him, "Why is she so important." They could see a line or torches begin moving through the forest, "She is more important than anyone in the city." Lance looked ahead, "We have multiple men to the right." They all banked left and continued running. When an arrow shot through the air. "They found us," Alex focused the magic behind the group and destroyed any arrows. 

Alex made sure everyone was in front of him when he released liquid fire from his feet. It soaked the forest floor and lit up the nighttime forest. As they ran he could hear the sound of men yelling behind him. All of a sudden an arrow hit Alex in the shoulder. He growled and turned around and flung out his hand. He focused a great deal of magic and released a great torrent of flames on the men following. 

He turned around and began running again. Some men appeared in front of them and before he had time to prepare the others were sent to action. Lance had already unsheathed and locked blades with a bandit. One of John's golems, a wolf like creature came out of nowhere and sank it's wooden teeth into the shoulder of another. Roswald blocked a sword with his arm and punched the bandit in the stomach so hard he fell over limp. Lance kicked the leg out from his assailant and swiftly dispatched him. 

They continued running for what seemed like years, taking down stragglers when they got in the way. As Alex ran he could hear multiple growling sounds and crunches through the forest. John must have prepared a number of golems beforehand. They exited the forest edge where Alex and Lance entered. Three horse golems were already waiting alongside Lance's horse. 

Alex put Rose on the back of one of the golems and jumped on. As the others got seated multiple horses and broke through the forest A ways down from where they were. They took off, but the horses were catching up quickly. Roswald yelled out, "Were not going to make it to the City." John and Lance looked at Alex. He gulped and moved alongside Roswald, "Take her." 

He took her off the back of his golem, "What are you going to do." Alex blocked an arrow with his magic, "Keep going, I have an Idea. You all need to ride hard and fast. You'll need to brace for this." John nodded, "What are you going to do?" Alex looked at him, "Something reckless." Alex bailed off the Golem and slid on his feet to a stop as the other trotted off. 

Lance looked at John, "We shouldn't leave him." Roswald looked over, "If you stop riding, you probably die." Lance gulped and kept his eyes forward despite wanting to stop. John looked back and brought out a metal ball, "You fool." 

Alex took his dagger and cut his hand slinging the blood as far as it would go in every direction. He began to recount strange words and draw on the ground circles with his own blood. The ground began to shake as he continued, but he couldn't tell if it was from the approaching bandits or his spell. 

He stood up and checked if the spell was ready. He closed his eyes and impaled the dagger into his chest. The blood on the ground began to glow red as he completed the last hand signs. He took the dagger out and felt the magic begin to sap out of him. Alex fell to his knees as the ground began to rupture and a giant stone hand raised out of its muddy coffin then a head.

It was around this time he was picked up by a bird esk creature. He felt the claws dig into his shoulder and he was lifted off the ground. He could see his creation rise from the ground. A giant stone golem with a red tinge rored and the bandits began to panic. It swiped at them and threw jagged rocks as it rampaged. 

The alive bandits retreated into the forest. The golem followed and you could hear it stomp into the forest as it rored. Alex sighed as he took one last breath before passing out, "We got her out."