Saving Mina

The bandits tried to pull the same trick as he did before. Sparing the rest as long as they hand over the women. Jaycee couldn't stand this sort of behavior. She didn't give them any time to react as she raised the fan toward the sky in one smooth motion. A gust of wind blew the bandits into the sky. Through the practice she got in the forest, her mastery over the weapon has grown. She was able to accurately hit the group of bandits. Once they were in the air, she flicked her wrist backwards. Another gust of wind formed, launching them over the crowd and out toward the street.

Detan watched as she played with the bandits in amusement. She had no intention of sparing them as they fell from the sky. With a wave of her right arm five thin and shiny throwing knives flew out and hovered in an arc over her head. Jaycee launched the blades out. Sniping the men accurately and swiftly as they fell. They couldn't even let out a peep before they were killed, and the blades returned into her sleeve.

The villagers couldn't believe what they had just seen. Who could have expected the beautiful fairy like woman before them could be such a cold blooded murderer? What's more, she seemed to have some sort of formidable weapons that killed them all in one breath! They all backed away in fear except for one. The village elder. While the others might not know why she was so quick to kill them, he had a guess.

"Noble miss, would you happen to be related to the caravan incident from about a week ago?"

"That's right."

"Well miss, I had let the survivors take shelter in my home. They seemed so desperate and scared when they arrived so I took them in."

Jaycee walked toward him and gave a bow. "Thank you for protecting them. If you don't mind, could we see them?"

"Of course, of course. Follow me." The elder opened the door and turned to address the crowd. "I'll handle this, everyone go on back home. Nothing more to see here."

The crowd started to disperse while people whispered to each other with worried faces. Not entirely convinced at his words.

He led Detan and Jaycee inside his small wooden home. Two young men dressed as guards stared in shock as they entered.

"Jaycee is that you?! We thought you were dead!"

Upon hearing the excited shout of the guard a group of people sitting near the fireplace turned to look. Upon seeing the familiar face at the door, they immediately recognized her and ran over to welcome her. However they were stopped by the two young guards. They had a pushed the crowd back as their eyes locked onto Detan.

One of the guards stepped forward and drew his sword. His eyes steely, as though prepared for death. "The bandits may have taken you but I'm no longer scared to fight! Hey bandit, I'll duel you for her freedom!"

Jaycee stepped forward to stop him, but he just gave her a smile that said 'I know what I'm doing and I won't regret it even if I die.' Without wasting another second he drew his sword and leaped at Detan. His footwork was poor and his skill with the sword almost nonexistent. Detan stepped to the side, calmly dodging the sword. Everyone expected to see a good fight and were watching anxiously, except the guard stood there frozen like a block of ice.

The guard sheathed his sword and turned around. Everything was normal except his eyes were a deep black. This was the effect of a spell called possession. The guard can is now controlled by Detan until he cancels the spell or someone uses holy magic to purify him. Detan especially loves this spell because the person affected won't remember anything he makes them do. The second guard walked toward him and called out his name while waving his hand in front of his eyes. He had no reaction. The guard started to panic. They survived the ambush only to be killed by some weird voodoo magic.

"W-what did you do to Gerald?" he asked meekly.

Detan didn't look at him but addressed the group instead. "Listen up! My name is Detan. I am a god summoned by Jaycee. I followed her here to help you. Jaycee can tell you more but right now there is something more important. Who is wounded?"

He had smelled the stench as soon as he walked in. Someone is dying. He decided to use this opportunity to win the group's trust.

"God? Does he actually expect us to believe that?"

"Jaycee who is this guy, can we really trust him?"

The group was still distrusting of him. Instead of waiting here wasting time trying to convince them he decided to leave that to Jaycee. He controlled Gerald, the possessed guard, to clear a path for him as he walked toward a side room. Despite their protests, nobody made a move to stop him. None of them want to be hit with that weird magic.

Detan walked into the bedroom with Gerald. There was a young girl laying on the bed covered in a thick blanket. Gerald walked over and uncovered her. When pulled the blanket back the thick stench of death filled the room. At this moment the guard and Jaycee walked into the room.

The girl laying on the bed was the only other girl in the caravan. Over their travels they had become good friends. She is also the daughter of the Guard Captain that sacrificed his life to buy them time to escape the ambush. When Jaycee saw the deep sword slash and Mina's ghostly appearance, she wanted to save her. Both as a friend, and as a way to repay the Guard Captain. She immediately pleaded for Detan to save her.

Detan looked at her and smiled. "Asking me like this makes it seem like we're not close. Your friends are my friends, of course I'll save her."

Jaycee blushed at his intimate response. The youth beside her stared at them like they were idiots. Couldn't they see her condition? She could die at any moment and here they are acting like she's got a papercut. Just apply a band aid and she'll be fine? Idiots!

The next second he was shocked as he watched Detan pull a bottle of red liquid out of thin air. Then he walked over to the young girl and opened her mouth as he started to slowly pour the liquid into her mouth. To the guards surprise, when Detan finished feeding her the liquid she started to cough!

Not only was the guard surprised but even Jaycee had never expected it to be so easy! She wrapped herself around his arm and asked, "What was that?"

He looked down at her with a smirk while he chuckled, "Love potion."

Mina had already awoken and overheard his answer. She pulled the blanket over her as she blushed uncontrollably. Detan had done what he came to do and started to leave when Jaycee pulled closer to him and said, "I want one too."

"You don't need one."

"Why not?"

"You're already under the affect."

She gave a lovely laugh as they left the room together and sat down in the living room. The dazed youth followed soon after and told everyone how he had healed Mina. Of course none of them believed him, but after they checked for themselves they knew it was true. They gathered in the living room and apologized to Detan. Of course he wouldn't hold a grudge against these people, they had just been through a traumatic experience after all. After the misunderstandings were cleared up Jaycee started to catch up with her friends and the atmosphere became lighter. Everyone sat around illuminated by the light of the fireplace when Mina emerged from her room. She walked in wearing a cute white nightgown. Her bare feet tapped against the hard wood floor as she walked toward Detan with her head down. Her wavy blonde hair tucked behind her ear, and the soft features of her face made her seem like a little angel.

She pulled on Detan's sleeve and asked with a quiet, trembling voice. "You gave me a love potion right?"

Not waiting for an answer she climbed onto his lap tucked into a little ball and hugged him.

"Thank you."

Detan couldn't help himself and started to pat her soft golden hair. "You're welcome."

Jaycee was sitting in a chair next to him when she saw this. She stared at the little traitor while cursing in her mind. "There Mina you've said thanks. Now you can get off him right?"

Mina shook her head. "I don't wanna! It was a love potion. You know what that means right?"

Jaycee fumed. This rascal had never talked to her like this before! "I know what it means! You're the one that doesn't know!"

Mina didn't answer her as she smiled and tucked her head against Detan's chest. The caravanners watching the show at the side whistled and laughed.

"Looks like you've got competition miss!"

"It's so sad. She finally finds a man attractive but he ends up getting stolen by her best friend. It's just so tragic." Another guy added in mock sympathy.