Danger

Chapter 10 - Danger

There was a field of daisies bordering a clear lake under the moonlight spanning the horizon as far as the eyes could see.

A peaceful breath on the side caught her attention, but her eyes remained glued to the view. Its blue waters reminding her of the eyes the person next to her has.

< So close yet so far. >

In her periphery was a calloused hand. For why it was close enough to enter her sights despite her focus straight ahead, it was obvious what the man wanted.

< Can't I selfishly ask for just a little bit of your heart? >

She can try reaching out towards him but that would be an insult to his genuine attachment to her.

< If you don't like to talk about it then let's talk about something else. >

Though the voice was rough and low, he tried to make his tone gentle.

As if he wanted to at least touch her ears because he was not allowed to come in contact with her hand.

< What was a memorable thing about being the Great Witch for you? >

She felt her mind run through the memories. A heavy one appeared from the recesses of that person's mind.

< Memorable, huh? The time I awakened my magic. I didn't have it at first but there was a tragic event, that was...>

"Lady Vansia, are you alright?"

Sequentia snapped out of her stupor, staring at the calm green eyes in front of her.

"Anaiz's brother..."

"It's Rohwell." The man felt his wind knocked out of him as she addressed him like that naturally. "Please stand up, the train is on fire and I have to follow the intruders to keep watch. I heard them say they're planning to derail the train. So my lady, please call for the Duke and Duchess Vansia, we need them."

"..Why my parents?"

Sequentia frowned unconsciously. Words of displeasure and an edgy tone flowed out effortlessly.

'It's probably because of the new memory that passed through.' She sighed.

"Your parents are swordmasters..."

"Everyone have probably heard the loud explosion on this side they'll come here eventually and I won't feel good leaving you alone."

Rohwell thought her words were right one way or the other, nodded and set off towards the driver's compartment in a sneaky manner. "They're headed to the driver's compartment."

"Any other clues?"

"They wanted to activate something."

"Something? Does this train have any kind of tool with that sort of mechanism?"

He eyed the compartment's door and thought of the layout inside. "Quite a lot."

"Any parts that're dangerous enough to derail the train?"

Rohwell's face turned serious. "The coupling and the railway switch. The mana signature it needs belongs to my sister."

Sequentia observed his face. "If those things are activated would the train derail from the tracks? Aren't we going on a straight line."

"Well, even though every passenger think we're only heading a straight line the train is actually curving on different points. There's a gigantic nail material inserted in between each train car connectors, that's the coupling. If it's removed at a well-timed curve, the train car would most likely derail. Worse, it will flip."

"I see." Her face turned grim.

'Who would have thought that the simple desire to get my magic back will stab me in the back?'

She clicked her tongue. 

"I guess it'll be fine so let's... crap."

Her positive words ended. The door of the driver's compartment opened and three of the four intruders came out. 

"Those noble children are still here." One of them mentioned.

"We don't have to kill her but the other one..." The intruders spoke amongst themselves and eyed Rohwell Allum with a predatory gaze. 

The three barbarians clashed their weapons on the surface and ran towards Rohwell's direction.

'Shit! If this kid gets hurt while he's with me, Anaiz wouldn't let me go-!'

Rohwell Allum froze as he watched the men dashing for him. Their bloodlust was suffocating him. He has to move, he knows he should but..

"...!"

His green eyes caught an unfamiliar white hair but as if it was only a mirage, Constance appeared in front of him with her usual black hair and pushed him away.

"Wai-!"

As he fell away from the incoming attack, Sequentia managed to dodge it too.

But the next one...

"Lady Constance!"

'Shit. Where did this magic cleaver come from?!'

Sequentia gritted her teeth, watching the incoming cleaver slowly come into contact with her cheek.

'I feel powerless! But I have to try.. But what if..'

The cleaver's composition seemed to be made of magic.

She convinced herself that it'll disappear upon contact, after all earlier when the cleaver passed them by it disappeared into magic dust, right, then this time too...!

She felt the slight sting of blood.

'It's... not working..'

Sequentia panicked as time slowed down in her eyes.

Her heart dropped.

'I'll die...!'

She did not have magic resistance strong enough to make the cleaver not penetrate her skin in time to not hurt her at all.

'I'll die. I'll die.. I'll really die... Fuck!'

Just as she felt the blade go deeper into her cheek, a pair of hands pulled her away and deflected the magic cleaver, striking it back towards the owner at an unprecedented speed and almost decapitating two people in one go.

Unfortunately the intruders were skilled enough to move away but not enough to evade the blade completely. Both of them had an inch-deep wound on their arm, making them unable to grasp their weapons in full strength.

Wordlessly, Sequentia got pulled into an embrace.

"Connie, Connie... My child.. how dare they..."

Noreen Vansia's hands were trembling.

That same trembling hands clasped unto Constance's arms tightly. 

Even for Sequentia who did not know the concept of a household or family, she knew that the duchess' state was not because of fear of the intruder's fighting power or because the train was on fire.

But because she almost lost her child.

"Constance... Why were you back here?! Where did you go?! It was dangerous!" Her mother could not help but scold and yell at her. "No, I'm sorry.. I'm sorry... Are you hurt?" Noreen sighed and softened her voice while checking her daughter's state.

"I'm sorry. Did mommy's tone scared you? It's alright, it's alright now." Noreen Vansia stared at her frozen child who just watched her in silence.

As she was busy with securing Constance, Duke Robert Vansia appeared with the train's emergency axe. His expression was unreadable.

"How dare you..." His usually calm and anxious voice held a spiteful edge aimed towards the intruders.

Robert Vansia raised the mediocre axe calmly and the intruders flinched.

A black smoke-like aura appeared from his hands and coat the axe, and he simply swung his arm.

The air seemed to crack at the invisible pressure.

Then-

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Three of the four intruders' body split in half after the attack registered.

It was only a short time of screams and they fell fast. 

"My, how scary." The man with the magic cleaver blocked the attack. Though he was talking calmly the man was sweating as he stared the Duke. "It's not easy to block the matriarch's counterattack before and now I'm meant to try living after the patriarch's direct strike? I'm amazing for surviving that."

Sequentia's eyes naturally hovered back to the intruder.

For some reason, her instincts told her she knew him.

'His way of talking... it's familiar...'

"You villain. Who are you working for? If you tell me, I swear on my honor to let you live." Duke Vansia took a step closer.

However the intruder stepped back, his position made it seem like he was protecting the entrance of the driver's compartment. "I know enough you don't honor your words when it comes to your children, duke."

He grinned. "But, are you sure you can leisurely talk with me right now?"

As soon as he finished those words, the train tilted dangerously.

"Grab Rohwell!" Robert Vansia yelled in a hurry as he pulled Constance and Noreen dived to hold the Allum child. "Careful!"

The train tilted, crashing on the ground. Everyone in the cabin lost their balance and fell to the walls.

In Sequentia's eyes, the intruder mage went inside the driver's compartment even as the train car fell over, crashing on the ground.

"Hold tight, Connie!" Her attention moved back to her father covering her and acquiring injuries in her stead.

"Dad.." She chewed on her lips, the unfamiliar yet familiar words coming out of her mouth made her feel like a criminal. "Cade is in danger..."

'Even if I'm not your child, listen to me.'

Her white eyes turning darker as she watched the door hiding the train cars behind them.

In her new memory, Constance was talking about the time her magic manifested for the first time. The accident.

< There was a tragic event. That was when I lost my family when the train car we were in fell off a cliff. >

Chapter 10 - End

Danger again!