Chapter XII

She should have known everything won't be alright today, the moment she'd seen the gladiatorial fight over the coliseum something would go wrong.

–Guha-!

A tendril of green struck her flesh. Her stomach churned, and she felt something was dislodged within. Blood coagulating, and she spit a mouthful as the force careened her to the air before the force compels her to strike a store behind.

Boom!

The monster which paying no attention to her at all as the two Amazonian sisters distracted it long enough, so she could recite her spell had suddenly turned towards her. She was livid when the eyeless thing stared at her when she finished almost her magic.

Worse, it's attracted to magic, like maggots to corpses.

The two Amazonian sisters were not fast enough to protect her.

Her breath ragged and she vomited another batch of blood within her. Lefiya, the young member of the Loki familia, refused to stay down. She forces her eyes open, no matter bleary, and feel her breath hitched when the thing –the unknown monster– sharp teeth and steamy breath was upon her.

It's like smelling, tasting the pure, unfiltered fear and terror the young elf felt.

The bystander could only gasp and close their eyes at the poor adventurer's fate of being devoured. The two Amazonian sisters done their all to distract it but alas, with their weapon absent, the monster thick hide is proving to be immune to their raw punch. Any attempt to save the elf was thwarted by its many tendrils.

It opened its jaw and Lefiya know it's her time. Her only means of offensive is her magic –magic that took long time to chants.

So I'll die without amounting to anything.

Grim thought filled her last moment.

She blinked.

-Slash

A blur of yellow passed her eyes, and the monster's head was nowhere to be found but rolling on the pavement. The gigantic bodies fell with the last cries and slammed to the ground.

"Aiz!"

It's always her, the idol she revered. She's always like this, the fool that always have to be saved.

The tendrils that kept the Amazonian at bay fell limp to the ground. Aiz turned her back to the fallen elf. The human girl knows that she have saved Lefiya from her untimely death.

Lefiya was motionless on the ground, rubble surrounding her, and blood pours freely from her ear and nose. Aiz might as well be too late; the elf eyes were on the verge of losing its luster.

The girls rushed when suddenly–

-!

The pavement cracked in front of them, the sound of rumbling can be heard beneath. Aiz immediately took a defensive stance as the surrounding stone shook enough to leave the ground.

"Are you kidding?"

"The-there's more?!"

A pale-green lumbering stalk rose from the dirt as the twin yelled out to each other. Three, four -no six of the same monsters as before surrounded Aiz and forming a cage around her. The flower-like monsters opened their buds and bared their fangs against the trapped girl.

Their moist breath was hot on her face. Aiz frowned and looked at each of her opponent in turn –when, without warning…

Snap! A spiderweb of cracks ran through the rapier a second before it shattered.

"…"

Words left the trio as they watched splinters of metal fall to the ground. The blade couldn't withstand the combination of Aiz's skill and aggressive fighting style. Pushed to the verge of its limit, the blade shattered before their eyes.

The Stoic girl feels a bit of pity and regret as she had borrowed the sword.

"-!!"

The carnivorous plant didn't wait no longer to finish her thought and converge to her all at once. Aiz quickly jumped out of the way.

There's remained only a hilt housing a small splinter of metals, Aiz frowned for the second time. She was about to bring it down, but she feels a blur of gray was aimed at her.

With her reflex, Aiz quickly sidestep and grabbed whatever object that's thrown at her. It's a sword. She looked to the side.

"Use it. I'll treat the girl!"

It was the intriguing knight from before. Aiz had discarded him out of her mind in favor of chasing the remaining monsters. The Knight didn't wait for her answer as he quickly kneeled to the dying elf.

Aiz slightly nodded, thankful for the assistance. She dodged a swing from one of the tendril and brandished the unfamiliar sword in her right hand. It gleams in arcane light.

She'd taken to familiarize with the handle, and found it not so bad to swing. And the fact that the monster's flesh was cut too easily than any of swords she'd wielded before.

-Slash

Two down, four more to go.

.

Luscius kneeled before the dying girl. Her breath grew weaker the more time passes by. The girl sustained multiple injuries, primarily around her stomach and torso. A bone was sticking out of her chest. Her fine clothes trashed. The head must also suffer severe damage as consequences of crashing through a building.

Her throat is clogged with blood. Potion won't do.

The Dragonborn removed his gauntlet; it will inhibit the effectiveness of the restoration spell.

It's a testament of the girl's stalwart spirit that despite the multiple injuries, she still manages to open her eyes. He felt her lips trying to move.

"Shhh… everything will be alright. Just rest, I'll fix everything."

Luscius assured the girl. He cast a bit of illusion spell onto her, forcing the girl to fall into a deep slumber. His other hand then glowed briefly and channeled the healing energy from her nose to her throat before extending it towards her chest. The girl's needed air the most with blood clogging it.

"Hey, do you know what are you doing?"

"If something happened-"

"Shut your yapping mouth, wench, I can't focus here."

Luscius barked at the intruding Amazonian, who voiced their concern. His deep sound reverberated through his helmet and pacified the young girls.

A glob of dark blood flowed out of Lefiya mouth, he forces her to open it as the girl coughed painfully. He kept channeling the restoration spell to ease her of the pain and mend her minor injuries. The young elf chest's contracted when it could freely breathe air again, but the bone sticking out of her chest must be painful whenever she took an air.

She should be out of critical condition by now.

Lefiya was then hoisted by the Dragonborn.

"Make a way! I need to treat her!"

A door was forcibly kicked and Luscius made a beeline towards an empty room and positioned the young elf on top of a bed.

"-!"

The Amazon sisters followed them but promptly halted on their steps as Luscius close the door shut, earning a seething glare from both of the sisters. In the end they can't do anything but anxiously waiting, hopeful the strange knight would be able to save their friend.

.

Aiz flicked the blade, returning it to its scabbard. The plant monsters should no longer pose any threat. Remains of green surrounded her as guild worker, adventurer, and civilian alike came out of their hiding spot and cheered her.

Excluding the strange plant monsters so far, she had witnessed the death of 8 escaped monsters, one of the kill belonged to the knight. There's one left but Aiz was too concerned of the condition of Lefiya.

She found her not lying beside the street anymore. A quick question to the guild worker nearby, she was directed to an abandoned house nearby.

There she found the Amazon sisters waiting inside.

"Oh Aiz, you returned!"

"Where is she?"

Tione was about to answer but the creak of a door in front of them had earned their attention.

The strange knight was seen fastening his gauntlet as he stepped forward when he noticed them.

"Hmm?"

"How's Lefiya?!"

"That's her name huh. She's stable and safe now. You can see her but make no ruckus. She's resting from that exhausting surgery."

"Wait surgery?!"

"Isn't that obvious? I need to fix a few of her displaced bones before I can apply healing magic and potion on her."

The girls didn't wait for his explanation. They rushed forward to the room. Lefiya was peacefully sleeping above the bed.

Her clothes had been discarded in favor of a white dress. A lump of clothes and bandages stained in blood can be found discarded and scattered sloppily around the floor. The young elf sustains no blemishes, scar, or even injuries.

"She should awake anytime soon."

It was as the event before was just a passing nightmare for the three of them. They sighed in relief, even Aiz who's usually never let a single twitch of muscle on her face.

This is undoubtedly the work of a top-notch healer, only maybe the captain of Dian Cecht, Airmid, could do.

"We're grateful to you. Please if you need anything of us just ask. You've saved our friend."

"A compensation, huh? That would be nice. I'll think about it, you guys are from Loki familia right?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll know who's to bill later. For now, farewell, I have someone waiting for me."

His figure vanished when he turned outside only to retrace his step back.

"My sword if you would, please."

"…"

He reached the sword in the Aiz's hand, but he felt a resistance when tried to grab it out of her hands.

"…"

"..."

"Aiz let it go!" The youngest sister urged.

"Fine..."

His eyes twitched at the disappointed tone of the blonde girl. Her eyes linger on the sword far longer than any men or women should. She deflated when the knight slung the sword to his back.

"Oh right we forgot, what's your name?"

The Dragonborn turned his head as he was about to leave.

"Luscius. Luscius Artorius of Herma-Mora familia."

With that his presence was gone from their view.