04: The Attack

Kalliste and Rowan continued to amble through the forest. They were not in a hurry. At some point, the two heard an unusual sound. It resonated in the area like a crackle of lightning. Kalliste even felt a strong buzz beneath her feet. It travelled up to her fingertips.

"What was that?" Kalliste carefully examined the surroundings. Red maple trees lined the area. She slowly inhaled, and a whiff of sweet cherry and almond flowers wafted through her nostrils. A small smile appeared on her face. Seeing the huge, red maple meant that a waterfall was nearby.

When her eyes caught something from a distance, she quickly grabbed Rowan's hands.

The boy could not say a word as they ran forward.

Her hands felt so soft against his. He felt his blood rush up to his face at her sudden action. He had no idea why she suddenly ran, but he still gripped her hand tightly.

It took a few more minutes before Rowan's questions were answered.

"I was right," Kalliste whispered.

From where they stood, the whirring waterfall looked like a sheet of turquoise blue on the wrinkled face of a high mountain.

With a thunderous sound, the water swished down over the granite rocks. Its edges were hemmed with whipped-ivory lines. When it toppled into the serene pool, it foamed at the bottom.

Kalliste was left speechless. The idyllic scene instantly took her breath away. The sun's heaven-leaking rays cast a golden tint on the falls, transforming it into a magical paradise. A startling eureka moment emerged unbidden, involving the beauty of nature.

The water looked like a polished silver mirror, enabling them to see down into the rocky and vodka-clear bottom.

"Lovely!" Kalliste muttered as she strolled along the small slates on the stream's edge. It was buffed with pillows of verdant moss. She also noticed the ferns that grew in between the rocks.

Even the lemon bacopa piqued her interest. Caressing the beautiful, bluish five-petalled flowers gently sent tingles on her fingers. Its leaves released a wonderful lemony scent, making her crave water.

At that moment, her throat suddenly felt dry and sore. It seemed to flit in and out of her awareness.

To quench her thirst, Kalliste got down on her knees and gently scooped some ice-cold water to drink.

"Hmm. That was refreshing!" As soon as the liquid entered her body, Kalliste involuntarily shook her head as the numbness slowly crept into her brain. She gasped at the chilling sensation. It felt like she tasted the greatest luxury that this world has to offer. The nectar of the gods.

She once again scanned the area. In this paradise, sight, smell, and taste vied for her complete attention. Without any hesitation, Kalliste sat down on a dry boulder and put her back against it, leaning her head against the mossy pillow. She closed her eyes and let the stream of consciousness take hold, ready to drift into infinity.

At that moment, she felt like someone took her spark of wonder and poured on plenty of sweets. The smile that she displayed on the outside could not adequately reflect the ecstasy she felt inside. It was her first time seeing a body of water this clean. Blood, toxins, and waste had already tainted every body of water she saw. The air was also fresh and cool. She repeatedly inhaled, as though it would disappear at any moment.

Meanwhile, Rowan watched her attentively with a small smile on his face. She looked like a little goddess while playing over the edge. Her trauma of water seemed to be exclusive to the ocean.

He looked at his hands. He could still feel the softness of her body. Her sweet fragrance lingered in his nose, like a perfume that could not wear off. It was like a tranquillizer for him.

Rowan shook his head. That scene engraved itself in his mind, like a permanent scar that could never be erased. He sighed and was about to call her back when he felt a murderous aura nearby.

His face instantly turned colder than the icy glacier as he swiftly prepared himself for any potential attack. Growing up in a place where danger was a daily occurrence, he naturally adapted to such situations.

"Some people are coming, and they were not here for a friendly chat."

Rowan was startled when he suddenly found Kalliste by his side. He spared a glance at her. She no longer had the playfulness and carefree attitude. Though she was clearly younger than him, her eyes told a different story. Her eyes gave him the impression that she was a savage beast. A merciless and cold-blooded predator, capable of taking a life without hesitation. Her expression was akin to that of a seasoned veteran who had experienced the most brutal and ugliest wars. Her aura was another thing that drew his attention. It was more dense and potent than anything that he had seen and felt before. It was suffocating. Just standing next to her would have rendered him unconscious; fortunately, the killer intent did not target him. Additionally, tiny freckles now adorned her face, nearly filling the entire space.

'When did she get those?'

"Get behind me, lady." Rowan whispered as he slowly walked in front of her. With sharpened senses, he narrowed his eyes in the forest.

Not a second later, two bright and sharp objects suddenly flung towards them with a speed unseen to the eyes.

The impact caused dust and leaves to fly. A raspy voice followed.

"Hey! Why did you do that? What would happen if you accidentally killed him?"

"Do not worry; I made sure that the daggers would not pierce important veins.

"Don't make me laugh, Lucas. Your actions spoke better than your words. What's with that disgusting expression of yours?"

Lucas jumped down from a branch of a tall tree. He landed in front of Porteur. Though the latter had a smile on his face, it was a grin that made him look like a crazy man. His hands twitched uncontrollably due to excitement. The urge to kill grew even more as the seconds passed by.

"Come on, let's get the body and alert the others for a failed mission." Porteur hurriedly brushed past Lucas. This was the reason he hated being partners with this man.

Though he was also a seasoned mercenary, at least he still had his conscience. However, Lucas' brain was like a rotten fish, and his thoughts were equally foul. He had an unusual hobby that made his skin crawl. A collection that he would never grow accustomed to.

"What the hell!" Porteur's eyes widened as soon as he walked out of the bushes. It was an impossible scene. In front of him were two children, unharmed. However, it wasn't the children who got his attention.

"How was something like this possible?"

Their target now held the two daggers in between his fingers. He heard some gossip about the prince, but he consistently believed that the stories were overly exaggerated. He might be talented, but not to this extent. Furthermore, he was barely nine years old, according to the reports.

Porteur's eyes narrowed as he became more serious. Though he was hesitant to harm a child, it was his mission to capture him through any means. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. Ready to attack at any moment.

However, before he could do anything, an overwhelming aura instantly overtook him. He rolled his eyes, searching for the source. At the back of their target was a small girl who was barely six years old. When their eyes met, Porteur instinctively stepped back.

A cold chill instantly ran down his spine. His body frozen, and his heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest. Her gaze seemed to indicate that she was looking straight at his soul. Beads of cold sweat started pouring down his face.

"M-Monster!" Having attained the status of a martial master, he was astute enough to understand that she was not someone to be messed with.

It was the first time he felt like he would not win a battle. Her presence alone made him feel like he had come face-to-face with a monstrous being. An unbeatable force of nature. At that moment, Porteur felt himself rooted to the ground. He could not even move, as an invisible power forced him to complete submission.

"Hey! What is wrong with you? Why are you just standing there like a moron?" Lucas' voice resounded in the area as he finally came out of hiding. As soon as he saw the scene, a wide grin immediately etched on his face.

"Well, well. It's hard to believe that even a small child could thwart my precious weapons. I must be getting rusty." Lucas eyed their targets, and his expression became even more sinister than before.

"To think that I would find such a perfect specimen in this place, I must be lucky. Won't the two of you be obedient enough to come with me? The two of you would become the most important part of my collections." Lucas stretched his arms, expecting the children to run into his embrace. However, moments passed by and nothing happened.

The smile on his face slowly disappeared. "It seemed that my words were not enough to convince you. Then, let my actions speak from today onward." As soon as the words escaped his lips, Lucas suddenly vanished from where he stood.

"Get down!" Rowan's loud shout broke the silence.

Meanwhile, Kalliste suddenly found herself on the ground. The sound of clashing swords followed. It almost shattered her eardrums. She looked up and saw how Rowan blocked the man's attack with the daggers that he held moments ago. Their weapons collided in a fight for dominance, trying to push each other back. However, neither gained any advantage.

When they finally separated, Lucas now had a devilish grin on his face.

"Wonderful! You seemed to have a trick or two up your sleeves. It seemed that I underestimated you, Brat. Let us see how far you could get using those measly daggers."

Having finally acknowledged his opponent's skills, Lucas reached across his body with his right hand and gripped the handle of his sword just below the guard. He then pointed at the boy.

"I, Lucas Palihor, the third member of the Order of Serpents, challenged the third prince, Rowan Lacarus Clevario, to a duel. Do you accept?"

It took awhile, but Rowan does the same.

"Darling?" Startled by the sudden twist of events, Kalliste gripped Rowan's clothes.

'Did that man really challenged a child to a duel? What's wrong with him? Is he crazy?'

Kalliste wanted to say something or even do something. However, when the two of them shuffled their feet into a proper stance, she knew that it was already too late.

"Lady Kally, please hide behind that tree for now. I don't want you to get hurt."

Observing the boy's serious expression, Kalliste had no choice but to follow his instructions. She quickly moved away.

"Stay safe, darling," she whispered in the air as she focused her attention on the scene.

With a blink of an eye, Lucas charged directly at Rowan, hollering at the top of his lungs. His movement consisted of rapid shuffling motions of the feet, ensuring that he stayed balanced at all times. As soon as he was an arm's length, Lucas drew his sword up over his head and snapped it down towards his opponent.

Rowan, on the other hand, brought his sword upward, rotating it sideways so that the handle was above and to the left of his face. The blade slid down and to the right, providing a barrier above him. Lucas' blow bounced off this barrier like rain. Just then, Rowan sidestepped, allowing him to pass, and snapped the sword down toward the older man's unprotected shoulder. However, Lucas moved too fast, while Rowan's timing was a bit off. The blade only left a wound on Lucas' shoulders.

Both of them wheeled to face each other, backed up, and re-entered the stance.

"How dare you! To my precious body!" Seeing the blood that oozed out of his wounded shoulder, Lucas finally went mad.

"Ah!" With an ear-splitting screech, Lucas makes another attack. He snapped in the direction of the boy's rib cage.

However, Rowan parried the attack, quickly turning around and cutting both of the older man's legs just above the knees.

With this, Lucas finally collapsed to the ground.

Rowan then pointed his sword towards the older man. "Do you concede defeat?"

As he glanced at Lucas, he had a stoic expression on his face, as if he were just an insect beneath him.

"Never!" With another ear-shattering screech, Lucas parried the boy's sword. He then held his weapon with two hands. A bright light suddenly enveloped his sword.

"Sword Aura!" Rowan was startled upon seeing this.

Sword Aura. It was a requirement that all aspiring swordsmen must have to enter the ranks of an Imperial Knight.

'It's dangerous! I still don't have enough energy to block an attack from someone who achieved sword aural! But I can't dodge it either. Kalliste would not survive!'

As soon as the aura hit, Rowan tried to block it, but it was too powerful for him.

"Kally! Watch out!" Left with no other choice, he turned around and launched himself at the girl. He sacrificed his body to shield her. The attack tore apart his clothes, leaving a deep and clean cut on his back. The two fell to the ground, with Rowan on top.

"Ugh!"

Meanwhile, Kalliste was left speechless as the crimson blood from his back soaked his clothes. The more blood that drained from his body, the colder it felt on her face. Her eyes widened as she realised what happened.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Rowan asked despite his situation. He sighed a breath of relief when he saw that she was unharmed. His body then slumped to the ground; his breath was rugged and heavy.

"R-Rowan? Darling?"

He forced a smile when he heard her charming voice. "Run."

He saw Kalliste's panicked face as his vision grew darker. He wanted to say something, but his consciousness slowly faded.

Meanwhile, Kalliste stared at Rowan, still wide-eyed. She had no idea what was going on, but somehow, the attackers wanted her darling dead.

As soon as she saw him faint due to the blood loss and wound, her eyes dilated.

"You dared! A mere scumbag like you dared to hurt my darling? Right in front of my eyes?"

"Huh? You are saying?"

Lucas, whose wounds suddenly disappeared, walked towards Kalliste and instantly grabbed her hair. His never-ending kind smile was no more. It was replaced with a devilish grin and a smug expression. He immediately licked the blood on her face.

Kalliste felt her blood slowly boil in rage. Her head went cold.

"I promised myself to live a peaceful and lazy life without killing even a tiny insect. However…"

"What was wrong with this bit… Ahh!"

Lucas's pained scream shattered the pregnant silence. The arm that grabbed her hair was no more. It flew just a few meters away from them. Lucas quickly backed away when he felt an unparalleled energy. His eyes widened in fear as he stared at the small girl.

"You. Are. Dead!"