Three men in hooded cloaks were sneaking through the forest. They were the scouting party for Alac and the others.

The one leading the group was Remy and the other two were Cyril and Mast. Of the three, Mast was the oldest of the group while Cyril was the youngest. The three of them were making sure that the Prince's convoy wasn't taking any detours. And to their luck, tracking them was a lot easier thanks to those flame familiars that were flying in front of all the Knights.

"I still can't believe those flame things are real," Cyril said with astonishment.

"They're not real. At least in the creature sense... They're probably some kind of magic the Prince's mage is using," Mast answered.

"Well, should I run ride ahead and warn the boss?" Cyril asked.

Remy thought it over and nodded, "Yes. Hurry back and let him know. We'll keep an eye on the convoy."

"Right," Cyril said as he dashed off to report to Doug. While Remy and Mast continue to observe the convoy from a safe distance.

"Do you still think it is wise to be this close to the convoy, with three elves within their midst? They could hear us," Mast stated with a bit of concern.

"I wouldn't worry about them. But if you're so concerned, then we can use the notebook and quill," Remy answered.

"That works for me... I can't trust that the rain will cover our presence," Mast stated as he watched the carriage that had the three elves in it.

Remy went to grab the notebook and quill that was tied to the saddle on the back of the horse before he returned next to Mast.

"Now. Let's continue and keep a close eye on the Prince," Remy said.

"Yes sir," Mast nodded.

The two of them continued to follow the convoy as it got closer towards the ambush.

The two of them could see the Prince and his company stop all of a sudden. They were almost a half mile out from where Alac's men were waiting.

"What the hell are they doing?" Mast wondered.

"Maybe they are stopping for a break? It makes no sense to stop otherwise," Remy guessed.

"In the middle of a thunderstorm?... Something isn't right... Should we sneak in closer to see what's going on?" Mast asked.

Remy shook his head, "No. Let's just continue to watch them and if we're lucky, they'll continue down the road."

"I hope you're right... The last thing we need is unwanted surprises," Mast said.

The two of them watched as the Prince talked to the general. The General nodded to the prince and then the wolfkin came out of the carriage. She was sniffing the air like crazy.

"What the hell is she doing?" Mast wondered.

Remy started to panic when he realized it was the wolfkin and noticed the headwind that was hitting the convoy. That's when everything started to click into place. "Goddess be damned... The ambush is upwind of them! That fucking mutt can smell them."

"So, that's why she is sniffing the air like crazy," Mast figured.

"We need to make sure... Don't speak... only nod and use the notebook to talk," Remy ordered.

Mast nodded as he and Remy started to sneak towards the convoy from the southern side of the road. As they moved closer, Quinus, Rya, and the rest of the party who were in the carriage came out and moved to the front of the caravan. Rya made a canopy out of the earth as they started talking to the wolfkin.

***

"What's wrong, your Highness?" General Douglas asked as he dismounted from his horse and walked underneath the earth canopy.

"Lady Dalia picked up something odd with her nose," Quinus said.

"Something, like what?" General Douglas asked.

"It smelled like blood and human waste. It also had the stench of iron mixed in... And there's a lot of them. There's more than a hundred humans," Dalia answered as she sniffed the air and the wind flowed through her hair.

"You're saying that there's a hundred men nearby?" Douglas asked.

Dalia shook her head, "No, the number is bigger than that. But the rain is making it harder for me to determine how many people there are."

Douglas looked down the road. "Then, we have a problem. We probably can defeat them with His Highness and Lady Rya's aid, but we might lose some of our men if they get the jump on us."

"Should we try and go around them?" Percy asked.

"We could... But I think I have an idea... Rya, can you create horse golems?" Quinus asked.

"Umm? I should be able to but I don't think they'll look really believable or thorough. I don't know the anatomy of horses well enough to make it look perfect," Rya answered.

"That's fine. We just need them to look and sound the part. Plus, I was wondering if you can make them explode like a grenade?" Quinus smirked.

Everyone was confused and curious, and they didn't know what the Prince was talking about, except for Rya who had a smirk written on her face.

"Oh? That's mean, Quin... But if these idiots are a part of your uncle's plans, then they deserve what's coming to them," Rya said as she turned towards the road and channeled her mana into the ground.

Everyone watched as the ground started to shake and 20 horses formed from the earth, it took only seconds for them to shape. And on top of the golem horses were the forms of fake men. They were crudely made, but the golems looked and sounded like horses. Their ribcages were lined with a bunch of pyramid-like rocks that were meant to act as shrapnel when the golem exploded.

The knights and soldiers were amazed by the magic they were seeing. Even the prince was impressed.

"You really outdid yourself, Rya," Quinus said.

"Humph. This is nothing. If you give me a week, I could make a hundred of them with ease," Rya smirked.

"I'll take your word for it," Quinus chuckled.

General Douglas wasn't sure what the Prince and Lady Rya had planned.

"Your Highness? What exactly are we going to do with these... things?" General Douglas asked.

"It's simple, General... We'll let these decoys take the lead and hopefully, they take the bait... Just keep your distance until they explode," Quinus smiled.

The general looked at the golems before looking back at the Prince. "So you wish for me and my men to trail behind these—"

"You can call them trojan horses," Rya added.

"—Trojan Horses," Douglas repeated before he continued, "So, we wait for them to attack the decoys? That's the plan?"

Quinus nodded, "The moment the enemy sees the horses, they'll most likely charge. At that moment the golems will detonate, like a fireball... So keep a safe distance from them... Be no closer than... 200 yards?" Quinus looked at Rya who nodded in agreement.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Yeah, that should be good. Plus, I'll have the Flame Familiars flying with the golems so they don't look too suspicious. So just follow them," Rya said.

The General kinda liked the idea of letting these "Trojan Horses" take the brunt of the attack and soften up the enemy for his men.

"I'll trust in you two's plan... Your Highness... and Lady Rya," Douglas said with a salute.

"Good, now let's hurry and get this over with... Take as many men as you need, General," Quinus said.

"Understood. I will have my men follow your orders, your Highness," Douglas saluted and bowed.

"Stay safe, General," Quinus nodded.

Douglas mounted his horse and rode to the front of his troops.

"Alright men! There's a possible ambush waiting for us! I need twenty of you to join me. The rest will remain with the Prince and his men!" Douglas ordered.

"Yes sir!" The men responded as twenty of them took a position behind the golems. With all of that sorted the General nodded to Rya who commanded the Golems to ride ahead.

Twenty soldiers accompanied their General down the road as they followed the Trojan Horses.

Rya had the "Horses" speed up a little as the decoys continued up the road.

"Now, let's see if they will take the bait," Quinus grinned.

Everyone hoped for the best.

Meanwhile, Remy and Mast couldn't believe their eyes as a large group of earth horses rode ahead of the general and his men.

They couldn't hear what Quinus or Rya were saying to the General thanks to the rain and wind. But they knew it wasn't good.

Remy scribbled away on his notepad and showed it to Mast.

Can you get to Alac to warn him?

Mast read the message and shook his head. He would need to sneak back to his horse and those golem horses, along with two platoons of Royal Knights, already had a head start on them. He could try to hurry back to Alac but he was so far behind them that it would be a miracle if he could catch up to them.

Remy wrote on the notepad and handed it back to Mast.

We need to try. Go!

Mast didn't argue. He nodded then he snuck back to his horse and climbed on. He spurred his horse on before he went off the path and tried to move around the convoy's decoys, even if it was a fool's hope.

Remy watched as Mast vanished off into the woods before he turned his attention back to the convoy. He just hides there in the bushes looking for an opportunity for something. Maybe he could pull something off while everyone was focused on the "Trojan Horses".

'Think man! There has to be something I can do to turn this thing around... But what?'

It had been ten minutes since the Trojan Horses and the General's men had moved down the road where Alac was waiting to ambush them. But it was Alac who was going to be ambushed and the sounds of fighting could be heard through the rain.

'Fuck! We were too late! We could have made a name for ourselves if that fucking mutt wasn't in their party! I have no idea what that dumbass kid sees in the bitch... You're supposed to use wolfkins and fucking throw them away! Not fucking fall in love with those stupid bitches... Gah! I need to calm down... Cursing our crappy luck isn't going to fix this... Haah... Is there anything I can do to salvage this?' Remy wondered as he sat there and listened to the sounds of battle in the distance.

After five minutes, Tayna was being escorted back to the carriage with only one guard by her side.

Remy saw this and an idea came to him.

'If I take her and leave a letter, telling that Manaless Lord to come into the woods alone, or I'll kill the girl... Then maybe I can kill that weak bastard and we can save face with the Duke... Yeah, that should work... And if it doesn't work, then I'll just sell her to a brothel and make some money even if she's damaged goods... But I do have to say... she does an excellent job of covering up her scars... It's like she's never been attacked by that slime... Whatever, I need to capture her,' Remy grinned as he moved closer to the carriage, waiting to strike.

***

Tayna was barely able to stay dry with all this rain.

'I can't believe how much Rya and those three girls don't mind the rain... But I guess they are not human after all... Dalia makes sense that she doesn't care, but Lady Rya, Nieren, and Yuliana are not wolfkins, so it makes no sense to me that they're not bothered by the rain... They're elves, not canines... Why am I even thinking about that? Ugh, it's so boring in here...' Tayna sighed as tried not to step in a mud puddle with her nice shoes.

But against her best effort, Tayna misjudged a step and her left foot landed right in a deep mud puddle.

"Gah..." Tayna groaned.

"Are you alright, miss?" The guard asked.

"Ugh... Yeah, I'm fine. I am not really meant for the outdoors... I just don't get how Dalia and Lady Rya are ok with the rain..." Tayna complained.

"They are both Demi-humans. They're different from us, Milady... There's nothing wrong with it but they are more comfortable in the wild than the city. So it's natural that they aren't bothered by the elements," the guard explained.

"But Lady Rya is a Dark Elf. They are a higher class of species compared to us... But then again, I guess it's just like the Dwarves. Their race is known for their ability to handle the weather and live in the mountains," Tayna sighed.

"Milady. We are not very far from the carriage. Let's hurry and get you back so we can avoid any injuries, Milady," the guard said.

"Thank you... Say, can I ask you a question?" Tayna asked.

"Of course, Milady," the guard said.

"What are your thoughts on Lady Rya?" Tayna asked.

"Honestly? I don't know what to think of her. Why do you ask? Are you curious?" The guard asked.

"No... It's just when I think I have her figured out, she throws me for a loop," Tayna admitted.

"Is that so? Well, I would suggest keeping an open mind. She is strangely blunt, but she seems very loyal to her friends. Like her companions," the guard advised.

"Yeah. She has done more for me than I could ever repay her for... If it wasn't for her, I would have never seen how good of a husband my Johan was... He truly is a great man..." Tanya looked at her left hand which Rya healed.

'I just have to accept that she is a different type of woman... To be honest... I like a person who is so forward and direct... She is the most honest female friend I have... Everyone else hides their feelings... But Rya doesn't seem to hide her thoughts. Even when it gets her in trouble... And her personality is so fun to be around...' Tayna thought.

She was deep in her thoughts when all of a sudden. A poisoned dart came flying out from the woods and it struck the guard in the neck before anyone could react.

"Gghhh......." The guard tried to speak but his lungs stopped working.

The rain hit her head as the guard dropped the strange umbrella he was holding.

"Hey! What are you doing—" Tayna turned to witness the guard's face turning purple as he was clutching at his throat.

"Ah!" Tayna yelped.

Before Tayna could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her off the road and into the thick bushes and trees.

"Ghak..." Tayna choked as she felt a knife against her throat.

Once Remy had Tayna under his control he tossed the letter at the Guard who was choking to death on his own vomit.

"Ghk... Kkh... Ghhh... Khhh..." The guard's face was completely purple and his eyes bulged out of his head before he fell over and hit the ground hard. Remy saw this and moved deeper into the forest with Tayna at knifepoint.

*Thud!*

Rya's, Nieren's, and Yuliana's ears twitched in unison as they heard a loud thud.

"Did you guys hear that?" Rya asked as she opened her eyes and turned her head to look behind her.

"I heard it too. It sounded like something fell," Nieren said.

"Like a person fell over, or a tree falling over?" Yuliana asked.

"That was the sound of a person," Rya said.

Dalia perked her ears and sniffed the air.

"I can smell, Whiny's fear? Somethings not right."

Johan looked panicked as he, Quinus, Percy, Sir George, and three of Johan's Person Guards ran back to the carriage.

"What's wrong, Dalia?" Rya asked.

"Tayna is scared. Really scared," Dalia said as she looked into the dark woods.

Rya turned and started hurrying to the carriage.

"Rya, Wait!" Nieren shouted as she ran after her.

"If someone is hurt then I'm going to heal them," Rya said.

Nieren and Yuliana followed after Rya.

Quinus and his men ran up to the dead guard. Johan felt a pit in his stomach and his legs grew heavy.

"N-no! Tayna!" Johan screamed.

Quinus kneeled next to the dead guard and he could see a note stuck in the guard's hand.

"Sir George, read this out loud," Quinus ordered as he handed the letter to his retainer.

"Yes, Your Highness," Sir George took the letter and read it.

Dear Manaless Dule,

If you ever want to see Lady Tayna Aguilar again,

You'll have to come south into the woods.

Alone!

You have 10 minutes before she dies.

Sir George looks back to the Prince who is deep in thought, like he was trying to come up with a plan. But when Johan hears the message. A rage that he'd never felt before took over his body.

Quinus looked up at his friend just as Rya approached the dead guard. She couldn't save him, it was too late for that. But she could help Johan.

Dalia came running up with Nieren and she sniffed around the dead guard.

"It seems that it's only one human who is behind this. I can't smell any other scents nearby. Just his," Dalia reported as she sniffed around the area.

Quinus stood up before he spoke, "Johan... Do you want us to join you in the rescue?" Quinus asked.

Johan didn't answer as he clenched his fists.

Rya chimed in when she saw Johan's body language, "Johan, you're not the defenseless man you used to be... You're an Illusion Mage... It's time to educate this idiot who thought that kidnapping Tayna was a good idea," the Dark Elf said with a grin.

Nieren, Yuliana, and Dalia smirked as well, while Quinus and Percy nodded their heads in agreement.

Johan took a deep breath and relaxed his hands.

"But I haven't mastered the spell, Shadow Self... What if it doesn't work? And Tayna dies because of me?" Johan asked.

"It will work... You've done it once and you can do it again... And if not then I'll be waiting in the wings if either of you need my healing magic. Now go and save her," Rya said with a grin.

"Johan, remember to trust your feelings... They will guide you. I've always believed that. And my intuition has never led me astray," Quinus added. He wished he could just go into the woods and help him but Johan would be in a better position to save Tayna than he would.

Johan looked around him and realized that he had friends who were willing to risk their lives to help him. It gave him strength and confidence that he never thought he could possess.

"Thank you," Johan smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. It was tough to tell due to the rain.

Rya nodded, "Now go, Tayna needs you."

Johan nodded and hurried off into the woods.

"So, do we join him?" Percy asked.

"No. We should wait for him to return. We don't want to be the cause of Tayna's death. I trust in Johan to pull this off. So, we'll wait," Quinus said.

Everyone nodded in agreement as they waited for the outcome of the situation.