Chapter 5: The Night of Battle

"Listen, the five of you, bad guys are almost here, and I need all of you to stay inside of this place, and stay low. We have two guards outside, so only a few can come in and out of this place. We will come to get you when the fight is over." Master said this with concern in his voice. The ones at risk the most were Aurora and Elaina after all. We all either said ok or just nodded, but master knew we wouldn't try to escape. "I will be off then." Master walked right outside of the door and flew to a watch post at the entrance to the village, he went next to Finn and some other guards.

"Finn, is the enemy really coming here tonight?"

"Yes, according to our scouts, they are prepared for a second attack, and were talking about doing it today."

"I see, do me a favor, and let's keep casualties to a minimum."

"Will do. Might I say that you are different in person than the stories say."

"Am I? How so?"

"You are considered one of the strongest people in the world, and what you did at the end of the war has already been written in history books. You were considered ruthless, and now I come to find out you have a soft spot for children."

"There was a time when I was like that I suppose, but I simply got tired of war. I am only doing this because children who don't need to see battle are the center of attention in this fight."

"I will see to it that they don't see this battle."

"Thank you, Finn. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Were those children really a gift from the God of forest Phanunus?"

"No, we just happened to find them deep in the forest. The elders call them a gift due to their strange appearance and magic. But from my time with them, they are just ordinary children."

"I see, thank you, Finn."

"Sir, the enemy is on the move, about three hundred in number." A post guard told to Finn.

"Everyone get ready! Draw your bows. God of All Elements, we number only about two hundred soldiers in total. Sorry again to drag you and your family into this."

"Don't be, but no one fire immediately."

"Wait where are you going? God of All Elements!?"

I flew about three hundred feet from the entrance of the village, I spotted the army. Some were on horses, all with dark blue gear, and either swords or staffs in hand. I casted wind magic to make my voice louder.

"Leave now, and no one has to die."

The enemy commander, a brawny man who just at a glance seemed to be bursting with confidence spoke "Oh? Did those weaklings hire a wizard to scare us off? HAHA, go and tell them to hand over the famed children and no one has to die."

I wanted to say something, I wanted to get rid of them immediately. But I just turned around and went back to Finn and the other guards. "They refuse to reason with us. Shoot on sight."

"You heard the God!"

After three minutes of waiting, we saw them walk up, and the guards shot immediately. They would have to deal with arrows falling onto them while breaking the wooden gate. They put up their shields while breaking the gate. Their archers and sorcerers also were shooting from the forest. Eventually, they broke the gate and rushed in.

"Shit, they got through!" Finn Yelled.

I jumped down and cast a gust of wind to push them back out. The swordsmen ran out and fight on the broken gate. I flew over to the forest and dealt with their rangers. Many of our swordsmen died, and some more of their men got through. The archers on the guard post turned and kept firing, however many were trying to enter homes. It was chaos both outside the gate and inside the village. My eyes went wide, and I used wind magic to propel myself into a few of the soldiers and used rock bolts to knock them out. "Finn where is the enemy commander?"

"I don't see him!"

I realized at that moment that the large fleet of enemy troops was mostly a distraction and that their real goal was for the commander, their strongest person, to get the two girls and flea. I started to run over to the house the children were at, but even with my speed, it would take a few minutes to get there.

…

All of us were sitting on wooden stools in awkward silence as we waited for the fight to be over. In the circle, it was Raze sitting next to Aurora, Aurora sitting next to Elaina, Elaina next to me, and me next to Yuki.

"Uge, I'm so bored, I wish I could join the fight! Then I can show that dammed God that I am not weak!" Raze said this with fiery confidence.

"We would just be a hindrance to master if we went out there," I said.

"You would, but not me brat."

"Even in tense situations, you two still can't get along. Honestly, I'm impressed." Aurora said giggling a bit, Elaina joined in the laughter. But then it went right back to an awkward silence.

"I-I can't take this anymore! Elaina what did you mean when you said you said-" Yuki spoke the loudest we have ever heard her speak. But the sentence was cut short, by Raze who had covered her mouth. As both me and him had heard a loud thud that came from outside. All of us hid under the table. And with one swift kick a strong-looking man in dark blue clothes and a hammer on his back broke the door.

"Common kids, it's safe to come out now!" The only thing that was stopping him from seeing us was the stone base of the table we were under. All five of us were cramped and it was barely big enough to hide all of us. The man walked over just a few feet from where we were. Raze slowly took his hand off Yuki's mouth, which caused her to breathe out. That's when the man smiled and reached under the table he grabbed my arm and yanked me out, I tried to scream but he covered my mouth with one hand and held me up in the air with the other. "Where are two elves!? Tell me!"

"Mhmhmmm" I said mumbling while my mouth was covered. Leading him to take his hand off my mouth.

"Sorry, what was that? I will listen properly this time." He said with a smug smile thinking I was actually trying to tell him where they were.

"I said they're gone, they left this morning."

"You're a bad liar kid." He hit me in my stomach causing me to throw up a little bit, it knocked the wind out of me, and it was hard to catch my breath. "Now tell me again before I kill you!" He pulled out his sword and held it only a little ways from my throat. I looked over at the table and saw Elania who looked at me and then at the man's leg.

"I said, they are not here!" As I said this I hit the man's groin, my strength was rather weak but my legs after running four hours every day for the last three weeks had some power. As I hit him, the man let go for just a moment, and Elaina ran out and put a portal underneath me. I saw a bright place that was all kinds of colors, and it had stars, and it felt like I was floating on nothing, not even a second later I was falling out of that place. I landed on my butt which hurt, and I was confused on where I was for a second, but I realized I was by the side of the table, next to Elaina.

"Everyone cover your ear!" Raze yelled. As we did Yuki yelled "SLEEP" and the bad guy passed out.

"Kazuma are you okay?!?" Elaina hugged my side. "Yeah I'm fine, Yuki are you ok?" She looked over at me and nodded.

"You idiot, you're the reason he found us!" Raze yelled at me. "Me? You are the one who held Yuki's mouth so tight she couldn't breath!" "What was that!?"

"Both of you stop it! Can't we just be happy we are alive?" Aurora tried to reason with Raze.

"Tch, I could have beaten him easily."

"Yuki and Elaina are the only reason we could do anything at all!"

For once it was Raze fighting with someone that wasn't me. But the man had started to get up.

"Yuki cast that spell again! Hurry" Raze yelled, all of us covered our ears but Yuki didn't say anything, no rather she couldn't say anything. Right as the man had gotten fully up again he seemed like he was going to kill the five of us. But right as he took one step forward he fell down again. Master had hit him with his staff over the head.

"You kids alright?"

"Yeah we're fine," we all said a little shaken up. Master seemed anxious as well but shook it off. Master used earth magic to bind his arms and legs and took him away and told us to stay here. By the time the fight was over it was morning, and all of us were exhausted Yuki, Elaina, and I all passed out shortly after master left.

"What was it you said before Raze? Something about hating people because they are weak and hold you back?"

"Tch, shut it Aurora you did nothing in that fight either."

"I don't hate the weak as you do."

"Then why do you hate Kazuma?"

"Because that's how I was raised. The elders here, even my parents from what little I remember of them hated humans, all I have ever been told is how evil they are. That is why I cannot trust that boy named Kazuma."

"I see, so where are you from then if not this village?"

"Dunno, or rather I don't remember. One day I was just in the forest with Elaina by my side. What's your story Raze? … Uh Raze? How did you fall asleep so quickly!"

…

"God of All Elements where are the children?"

"They are fine Finn, here is the enemy commander. We won this fight."

"One hundred dead, mostly on their side. Seventy were injured, and thirteen were captured. Thanks to you many lives were saved. We will finish up here. Please go meet with the elder for your reward."

"I am sorry I couldn't have been of more help Finn, I leave the rest in your care." I walked over to the elder's home.

"Oh God of all Elements. Thank you for your help, if there is anything you wish to ask for, that is within my power to do so don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Lord Elwood. May I ask to adopt Aurora and Elaina then?"

"Now my dear God, me and my people thank you for your help, but the point of your help was to protect those two children. I am afraid we cannot just hand them over to you."

"I see, allow me to explain then. I am sure that after this fight the word of those two elves will spread. More and more tribes will come after for those children, and I am afraid I cannot keep coming to your aid each time that happens. I propose that they be trained by me for a few years, and if they choose to come back here, they may. Where they will be no doubt be stronger warriors than if they are trained here."

"Your argument is valid, but I am afraid the answer is still no."

"Then another bonus, a friend of mine told me you already wrote down what I did in the war. You elves sure do love history and knowledge. So I will allow you to ask me any number of things you wish to know about the war, Gods, or anything else."

"Is that really ok my Lord?"

"Sure it is, but I will only give it to you if I can take in Aurora and Elaina."

"They were a gift from another God though, would it still be alright to accept?"

"There is no issue in exchanging gifts is there? But in the event that Phanunus gets mad, I shall step in and make peace with him.

"Then dear Lord, as long as they are ok with it, I graciously accept your offer."

I was bombarded with questions for three hours, even though I only gave him surface-level information. It was time to tell the children the good news. I walked over to them and found that they had woken up from their nap.

"Aurora, Elaina, how would you two like to come live with the four of us?"

"Aaa can we really!?"

"Well, you seem excited Elaina, yes I am serious. How about you Aurora?"

"Fine, I guess. As long as Elaina is ok with it."

"Hehe, you have such a soft spot for her."

"Shut it Raze!"

"Oh great, two more kids who will always fight with one another. Haha."

"She started it!"

"No, you did!"

"This is going to be fun right Kazuma?"

"Yeah!"

With that, the six of us went home.