Chapter 14: Amulet of the academy

Yatia extended her hand to help Nia up from the ground. As she looked at her, confusion was evident on her face. She had just witnessed something strange - the trio of wolves that had been chasing them suddenly fell to the ground. Yatia couldn't understand what had just happened.

Nia shook her head, still trying to catch her breath. She let out a deep sigh and replied, "I have no clue what just happened. I'm just glad that we can finally leave this place." Nia was relieved to see the little croanis pup was still alive, and he was trying his best to keep up with them on his small legs.

The two girls unintentionally slowed down their pace to let the pup catch up. But as they approached the exit, they were held back by a single guard who seemed to be terrified for his life. He informed them that prisoners were not allowed to leave the stronghold, even with the breach. He warned them to make their way back inside if they didn't want any trouble.

Yatia's temper flared up, and she walked towards the guard, pointing at the corpses of the croanis they had just killed and then towards the ten corpses of guards lying on the ground who had been killed by those Croanis. "Are you sure you're able to stop me on your own?" she hissed, clearly angry at the guard's audacity to stop them.

Nia intervened, resting her hand on Yatia's shoulder. Yatia looked at her, her grip still tight on her rod. But she slowly stepped aside, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. She knew that they needed to be cautious and avoid any unnecessary confrontations.

Then Nia stepped forward. Yatia and Nia stood firm in front of the guard, their eyes locked onto his. The guard had no idea what to expect from the two girls, but their words had clearly caught him off guard.

"We aren't your prisoners, and we are offended that you even dare to compare us to those," Nia said, her tone firm. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out two small amulets, placing them in the guard's hand.

The guard looked down at the amulets, unsure of what to make of them. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he quickly handed them back to Nia with a short bow. "My sincerest apologies, lady. You may go," he said before quickly stepping aside, his face now focused on Yatia.

As the two girls made their way away from the stronghold, they exchanged surprised looks. They couldn't believe that the guard had backed down so quickly. They continued walking in silence, their minds racing with thoughts about what they had just experienced.

Yatia couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the outcome. She had managed to intimidate the guard and get them out of the stronghold without any further trouble.

Nia, on the other hand, was relieved that they had made it out alive. "Well, I didn't expect it to turn out like that, in all honesty," Nia said.

"Neither did I, but I am glad it helped in our favor," Yatia replied as they made their way back to Natura Cordis, leaving the iron cage behind.

"What were those amulets you showed them, Nia? They must have some kind of charm on them, right?" Yatia asked.

Nia laughed and shook her head at her friend's question. "Not at all! They are just the amulets of our new academy, where we will be heading soon," Nia revealed, which made Yatia even more confused.

"Why did the guard have such a reaction to the amulets then? I thought it was just a second-rate academy," Yatia said in an uncertain tone.

"Well, either way, let's go and head to Adwin. He submitted our form and likely has the invitation by now," Nia replied.

Yatia was still puzzled by the guard's reaction to the amulets, even after Nia had explained that they were simply the insignia of their new academy. "But why would a guard at a stronghold like that react so strongly to them? It doesn't make sense," Yatia said with a furrowed brow.

Nia shrugged, equally puzzled by the guard's reaction. "I have no idea, maybe there's more to these amulets than we realize," she said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

They continued walking in silence for a few moments, the weight of the day's events still heavy on their minds. As they walked, Nia couldn't help but wonder what lay ahead for them at the new academy. It was a fresh start, a chance to leave their past behind and start anew.

Yatia broke the silence, her voice filled with excitement. "I can't wait to see what the academy has in store for us. I hope there are some new challenges to face, some new skills to learn."

Nia smiled in agreement, feeling a sense of anticipation building within her. "Me too. Let's go find Adwin and see what our future holds," she said, and the two of them continued on their way to Natura.