Chapter 4: You are my enemy!

Once I reached shore of the Mana Source pond, I found arrows and blood on the ground, making me panic.

"Syl fought someone? S-spirits! Help me find Syl!"

Only silence answeared my plea.

Why? Didn't Syl say that spirits listen to pleas of elves during battles?

"Watch out!"

As the snake on my shoulder spoke to me, I ducked and in place where my head was not even a second ago, an arrow flew by.

"When human makes a contract with spirit… they commands."

"Commands? Ah! I see, Spirits, oh, spirits. Heed my command! Restrain my enemy!" as I felt the magic leave my body I could see several balls of light flew towards one spot in the trees.

"Ack! Curses!"

Not even a minute later a comletly tied up man with bow fell from the tree. I quickly moved towards him and took of his silverish helmet.

"An elf? What are you doing here? Where is Syl!!!"

"Tsk! Like I would tell a human where that traitorous wench went!"

"Spirits I command you. Restrain his limbs and broke one of them every time I say snap. Snap."

"Guaaaaaagh!"

"You better speak before I make those spirits break another of your legs."

"Like hell I would!"

"Snap."

"Guaaaaaaaagh!!!" the elf screamed as his left hand was bent in unnatural way.

"Where. Is. Syl."

"We, we took her to the princess! They are waiting outside the forest!"

"Good. Very good. Spirits burry him in the soil, leave only his head out."

"Wha—" the elf let out a surprised yelp and disappeared in the ground.

"Sorry for letting it end this way, but I won't take any chances. You better not scream too loudly becouse there are monsters nearby… I will take your saber and chestplate. Spirits bring out his armor."

I took several things for the elf and dressed myself in it as I send spirits to look for the elves.

I put on the helmet I took from the elf as I looked at his glaring face. "Now then, I already know where they are so… Spirits of the wind, envelop me and give me speed! Spirits of the forest make a new way for me!"

As I took the command, the trees started to bent away from each other, making the most stright line out of the forest, all the while two wind vortexes formed around my legs.

"Alright! Let's do this!" I took a step forward and the explosive speed send me flying through the foliage. Taking the next step in the free air, I pushed even higher.

"Let's take this to the skies!" Feeling strange mix of fear, excitement and weird preassure in my chest, I pushed even further up and forward untile I left the forest. I was looking over the plains that were stretching before me. All I could see was green and even more green. Somehow, the tents of the elves were so cleverly masked that I could not see them, but the spirits did so locating them was no problem.

"Over there huh? I'm comming for you Syl!!"

I started to descend while also making sure to slow down quite a lot so I wouldn't hurt myself.

"Spirits of the earth restrain all my enemies!" I screamed as I landed on the ground.

"It's an attack!"

"Protect her highness!!"

"Captain! We cannot move! The earth moved over our legs!"

"Seems like I came here before those kidnapers… Spirits of earth! I command you to sink my enemies in then soil, only let their heads out."

"Wah!"

"H-heeellp!!"

"Now then," I looked at a petite looking girl in black one piece dress. She had nasty looking scars over both her eyes. Those eyes were white and cloudy. She was not moving, but she had this unnatural pressure around her. "I take it you are the princess which ordered to capture Syl, correct?"

"And if I am?"

"Well, you will be my bargaining chip."

"That won't work. I ordered my men to kill her if something goes wrong," the princess correctly quessed why I came.

"Well, if they decide to kill her, then I guess I won't have a need for hostages," I unsheathed my saber and place it dirrectly at her neck.

"You don't have what it takes," the princess sounded completly calm.

"Y-your highness… that sword… it's the sword of sir Bellhain… and the armor is his too…" one of the elves said sadly, biting his anger and sadness back.

"You get it now? I killed that elf. And if it comes to it I will kill all of you too. I'm not the one who would let my enemies go on unscathed."

You guys are so easy to fool.

"But we are not your enemies. We only came here to punish the wench who stole my sight."

"Oi! Watch that mouth or the next thing you loose is that rotten tongue!" I grabbed the princess' chin and raised her from her chair, weirdly, she was not struggling. "You attacked us first here. That means you are my enemies."

"You don't even know what she did! Why are you guarding her without knowing what kind of crimes she commited?!" one of the elves yelled at me as I released the princess, or rather, dropped her on the ground.

"Oh, trust me I do know. She told me what brought her here in the forest in the first place. And from her story I understood one thing. You throw her away when she was still just a weak and innocent child. Do you really think she wouldn't want a revenge for what you did to her? When I imagine the pain she must've went through... Aaaah... If, if I were in her place, I would burn down the entire forest with you guys still in it. You deserve no mercy. Spirits I order you to seal away their mouths."

"Y-you are a Spirit user?!" the princess got surprised.

"Syl told me to not speak about this in front of elves, but there is still a chance that you will all die soon so it's whatever. I made contract with Mana source in this forest. I can use spirits to do my bidding."

"I-In that case! If you heal my eyes I will order my men to do no harm to you!"

"Sorry, but I can't take that offer."

"Wh-why?!"

"Becouse it doesn't benefit me in any way. Ah! There they are…"

As I said that, a group of around ten elves exited the forest.

"Spirits of the wind I order you to carry my voice to those elves at the forest border. Elves of the Roseenhaim kingdom, I hold your princess hostage. If you kill Sylnitta the Platinum witch, I will kill her in the most gruesome way possible," The moment I stopped speaking, the elves broke into run and arrived at the campsite shortly.

"Hey there Syl, I came for you."

"T-Tarumi! How are you here so fast?! I though…" her words stuck in her throat as her tears started to drip from her cheeks. Her eyes were weak and she looked sick.

"Oh, don't worry about that. That mermaid brought me to the source so I could make the contract safely. And you, you are the captain I belive?" I turned to a big elf with scar on his left cheek.

"Indeed I am. The princess is unharmed I see… and the rest of my men… I see, you burried them in the ground."

"They are still alive, though that guy you left at the lake wasn't that lucky."

"I see. Bellhain was a good man."

"Yeah, I had to break a bone or two to make him talk. Anyway, let's talk bussiness. You give me the Platinum witch I give you princess. A good deal, right?"

"I can't let criminals go that easily. I couldn't sleep well."

"Oh, in that case I will kill every. Single. Person. Here. Except for you and let you return home like that, what do you say? Will you be able to sleep then?" I smiled at him. Alright, I know acting cold and ruthless was never my jam, but hopefully he will bite.

"You can't defeat us before we take that crimminals head."

"Wait—"

"Spirits of the earth snap one of the elves neck," as I said that, I looked coldly in the captains eyes. Unbeknownst to them, I did't use any command words, I just let my eyes shine with golden color.

"He's spirit user! He restrained all of us with one command!" the princess protested.

"Kuh!" with a nice timing, one of the elves fainted due to the lack of oxygen and I lowered the dirt build up around his head.

"This man's death is on your hands captain. The princess can be next."

"Grrrrr… release the witch."

"But sir!"

"Do it, the life of royalty is at stake here!"

"...Understood, sir…" the soldier loosen the restrains on Syls hands and legs.

Once Syl was released she quickly, but sluggishly, moved to my side.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" Syl drunk a purple liquid from vial she took from her bag, "Those bastards poisoned me so I couldn't call for help."

"What would you want from idiots. Hold tight. Spirits heed my order! Spirits of wind—"

"Wait a minute! I beg you, please return my sight!" The princess reached out her hand to me.

"She was poisoned on top of being kidnaped and you ask for something?! Didn't I told you I have nothing to gain from listening to your requests?!"

"How dare a lowly human—!!" The captain boiled with rage and his hand went to his sheated sword

"Spirits of earth restrain—"

"Please ignore my foolish subordinate!" the princess jumped in the way as I looked at the rude captain.

"What do you want?! You are really ticking my nerves here."

"I… I have a daughter back home… I just wish to see her face at least once in my life… I know I am not for long in this world, so please… grant me at least that…" as she said that, the princess did something unbelievable, she bowed her head.

"Princess!!" clearly, the rest of the elves had something to say about this.

"Tarumi, she's not lying," Syl whispered to me, "What she's saying is true. While she's not old, she was never loved by spirits as much as others, so her lifespan is closer to humans."

"Aaaaarh. Fine! I'll do it! But you will promise me something. You and the entire royal family will not look for us, is that clear?"

"Yes, of course! I promise you on my name, Jilbeerta Moira Roseenhaim, will never attack you again and will bear responsibility for any other royal who would wish so!" Her head once again hit the ground.

I walked to the princess and placed palm of my hand over both of her eyes, "Spirits hear my command. Return this elf her natural sight."

"Aah!"

"So? Is it better?"

"Yes… thank you…" the princess started sobbing as she looked at me. Her eyes turned from cloundy to gray and then to light blue.

"Great. Now before we go, a piece of advice. Dig up those guys as fast as you can 'cause if you don't dig them up soon, they will breathe their last. And that guy over there just fainted so good luck with that! Yeah, and that guy in the forest is alive too, you better get to him before the monsters do," I turned away and picked up Syl in princess carry style, "Hear my order spirits of the wind! Envelop my feet and grant me speed!"

With that I took off to the skies.

"Tarumi, why… why did you save me. I'm but a criminal…"

"Syl, I know you still haven't told me everything that you've been through, but that's okay."

"Huh?"

"I don't need to know it to know that you are a good person. You took me, a complete stranger, from another world even, in and taught me about magic. In my eyes, you are a good person."

"T-Tarumiiiiiii!!!!!" Syl hugged me tightly.

"D-don't move so wildly dumbass! We'll fall!!"

"It's okay! You can order the spirits to break our fall anyway!"

"You little," I smiled and we both laught from the deep part of our lungs.

***

"And they are gone…" the captain said in dark voice that could be interpretted many ways.

"Don't captain. As he said our men here are all alive. And as I get what I wanted, we will return to our forest. That's an order."

"I understand, my lady," the knight captain bowed to the princess.

He said that the royal family can't follow them. So as I'm not a member, allow me to use that to my advantage. I'm sure his Majesty will be pleased when he hears about my actions later.

As the knight captain said so, he picked four of his most trusted underlings and send them back to the forest in a roundabout way in order to fool the princess.

I'm sure His Majesty will reward me for my actions. Her highness may condem me, but I want to be more then just a guard to some spoiled woman on brink of her death.

***

"—I belive that the captain will send his men after us so we should pack our things and leave," as soon as the doors closed after us, I told Syl what was on my mind.

"That sounds possible, let's do that right away. If we go deeper into the woods we can fool them and by continuing toward west we should make it to Bartheena city by tomorrows morning."

We need to move out of our home… my hand shook as I looked at the house.

"Tarumi," Syl placed her hands on mine, "it's fine I was living here for only about six months anyway. Let's ditch this old thing and find something new."

"Okay…" as I hold her hands, I pull her closer and hugged her, "I thought, I thought I lost you… I was so, so angry."

"It's okay, I would be angry too. Let's get packing, 'kay?" Syl smiled warmly, patting my back softly.

"Yeah… let's do that…"

I quickly collected all my things and added few things from the house into the backpack too.

"Okay, I'm done here. Let's get going," Syl run down with a bag only half the size of mine.

"Where is your bow?"

"I put it inside this bag, it's magicraft item I made years ago."

I guess I've seen things like that in games before.

We exited the house and Syl before me spread her hands, "Can I count on you?" she asked with a slight blush.

"Yeah, leave it to me," I nodded to her and ordered the spirits to give me speed once again.

To think she would become so dear to me in just two days… am I that easy or is it her? Does it matter? I know I like her more then just as a target of my pranks. Alright! Let's find ourselves a nice home somewhere!

"Ah! Now I remembered that we didn't find that pepper you were talking about!"

"That's what you think about?!"

Will it really be okay with just the two of us?