Maria peeked from behind the large boulder atop the hill and surveyed the scene below. Chariot and her were at the edge of the forest, though how far away from the entrance, she did not know. At the foot of the mulchy, overgrown knoll, lay a camp surrounded by spiked wooden barricades. Huts made from crude, red-tanned leather dotted a crumbling stone foundation. It looked to be the remains of an old stone structure, a mausoleum, or something, but Maria wasn’t so sure. All that remained were a few pillars, pedestals, and archways. In the center of the foundation was a firepit constructed from clay and stone, with a large spit hanging over it, bearing the charred and blackened remains of a human corpse. Hallows roamed the area. It was hard to count just how many were in the camp. There was no structure to the way they had set everything up. Which huts served what purpose, if any at all, was a mystery. Rusty swords and spears were propped up against the huts, alongside small, round wooden shields.

“They’re late,” said a Hallow.

“The girl should be captured by now.”

“Maybe they’re butchering her?”

The Hallow laughed. “Easier to cook.”

“But then they get fresh blood! I want some!”

“Clam down. We still have the others. Wait for the others to return.”

Maria wrinkled her nose as the breeze blew an acrid and grotesque stench. It almost made her miss the smell of the garbage-filled streets back home. Three people had been impaled on spikes. Their bodies had long since decayed, leaving nothing but mutilated, burnt flesh left for crows to pick.

Maria bent over and gagged. Her eyes filled with tears.

Chariot held her arm over her nose and peeked at the camp. “We must make haste, lest the others share the same fate as those poor souls.”

“Are you sure they aren’t the people we’re rescuing?”

“Of that I am sure.” Chariot pointed to a large hut. “Look there.”

Maria groaned and peeked back at the camp. The largest hut was the closest to the stone foundation. Two flaps were open, and Maria could just barely make out the steel bars of a cage. “They’re in there?”

“Indeed. I planned to escape with them quietly, though I underestimated their numbers. The creatures nestle together and sleep in piles. Rattling the lock woke them, so I was forced to flee.”

“There’s two of us now. Can’t we just take them all out?”

“Their numbers are too great for a direct assault. We’d be surrounded easily, then slaughtered. With your help, an alternative strategy is possible.”

“What’d you have in mind?”

“I can lure them away while you sneak in and free the prisoners. The cage lock is made of bronze. Flame magic can melt it with ease.”

“My basic fire spell is only level three.”

Chariot pursed her lips. “At such a low level, the flames wouldn’t be hot enough. Do you have any skill points remaining?”

“I got one from killing the Hallows back there.”

“Acquire another spell.”

“I want to keep putting my skill points into one spell so I have something powerful.”

“A bard cannot succeed playing only one song. What will you do should {Flames} not be enough again? You must be versatile.”

“Good point.” Maria opened her menu, selected the Skills category, and was greeted with another pop-up window. She scrolled down the list of skills to the elemental magic section. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light, and… Dark. Even the weakest Dark spell was far beyond the power of {Flames}. Powerful enough to slaughter the entire camp of Hallows single-handed. But the punishment for casting any dark magic was execution should one be caught, as Eardwulf had told her. It was a good idea to keep away from it.

Maria opened up the skill tree for fire magic. {Flames} was the first spell she had learned, but it was time to branch out. Only two paths were available.

Firebolt - A concentrated flame projectile.

Cost: 10 mana

Base damage: 20

5% chance to give burn status effect.

Fireball - A large flame projectile, causes an explosion on impact.

Cost: 25 mana

Base damage: 40

5% chance to give burn status effect.

{Fireball} seemed far superior of the two at first. {Firebolt}, on the other hand, looked a lot more conservative. She could get the same damage output by casting the spell twice, and with 5 less mana. She only had three mana potions. Best to conserve them, especially since she didn’t know how long she’d be in the forest. The only downside is it didn’t look like {Firebolt} caused any explosions like {Fireball}. She settled on {Firebolt}. A little jingle played in her ears as an icon burned bright with a ring of animated fire circling it. Maria added it to her equipment slot. She could easily swap between it and {Flames}.

“Alright, I got something,” she said.

“Excellent.” Chariot smiled. “What did you choose?”

“{Firebolt}.”

Chariot groaned. “Changing the key does not make it a new song. It shall do for now. {Firebolt} will burn hotter than {Flames}. You should be able to melt the lock.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

“I shall lure as many away from the camp as I can. You sneak in and melt the lock.”

“Got it. We should be quick, though. They’ve been saying how hungry they’re getting.”

“Saying?”

“Yeah. They’re talking about waiting for the others to get back with you.”

Chariot stared blankly at Maria. “Can you… understand them?”

Maria tilted her head. “Can you not? They’re speaking normal speech.”

“They’re snarling.”

“Alright, we’re wasting time! We need to hurry and rescue them.”

Chariot raised an eyebrow but nodded. She moved down the slope to the edge of the camp, then drew her sword and charged in with a battle cry.

“Who’s there?” A Hallow called for allies and ran towards Chariot’s shouts.

They drew their weapons when they spotted Chariot and rushed her. Chariot bolted away, maintaining her screaming as more Hallows came running out of huts. Maria slid down the mossy hill. At the bottom, she ducked behind another tree and waited. The Hallows emerged from the huts like wasps from the nest. Chariot was right. No way they could take them all on at once.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Maria peeked around the tree. Most of them ran off after Chariot.

“Should we go too?” said a Hallow reclining against a tree.

“Let them do it,” said another, lying on his side.

“We chased her out before, right?”

It rolled over. “Don’t remember.”

Maria took a long, deep breath. Chariot couldn’t hear them? They spoke so clearly. She glanced down at her bandaged wrist and clenched her fist. No time to think about it.

Maria moved into the camp. She kept her head on a swivel as she crept to the largest hut. A Hallow was across the camp, watching as its comrades pursued Chariot. There were still so many of them, and the sacks on their heads prevented her from knowing where they were looking. How could they even see?

As one Hallow strolled by, Maria ducked behind a boulder. She wasn’t far from the hut. Only a few logs and wooden posts stood in her way, along with several Hallows.

“Intruder!”

Maria spun around. A Hallow ran at her, swinging a rusted ax.

She cast {Firebolt}, sending a bolt of fire at the Hallow. It dropped its ax as it was knocked off its feet. Maria drew her sword and moved in to finish it. She slashed repeatedly, nicking its health. It flailed its pointed nails but only managed to tear her robe before its health depleted. Maria received a little more XP and hurried back to the tent.

“Hey! Girl! Who are you?”

Maria turned to her left and raised her sword, prepared to fight. The trees rustled overhead. An arrow stuck the Hallow’s chest.

The air sizzled.

The Hallows spun and flailed, trying to pull out the arrow. Sparks traveled down the shaft and toward the tip. Another approaching Hallow was struck by a similar arrow from above.

Maria’s eyes went wide.

An explosion went off.

The Hallows squealed as their bodies went flying, slamming into trees, and crashing into the wooden barricades while Maria was knocked on her rear. Burning splinters rained onto the camp. Her ears rang and she staggered getting back to her feet.

The rest of the camp sprung into action, signaled by a resounding cry from all around. Hallows sprinted out of their tents, taking up arms as they searched frantically for the intruder. A few Hallows spotted her. Maria raised her sword, but the Hallows were dispatched by arrows.

“In the trees!” one of them yelled before an arrow pierced its eye.

Maria glanced up. A hooded figure hopped from branch to branch above, raining arrows down onto the Hallows. Many of them tried climbing the trees, attempting to capture the figure. They fired back at the Hallows and leaped away to an adjacent branch. The arrows detonated after piercing the monsters. Trees shook with the explosions, some snapping and collapsing onto the tents. As a group of Hallows gathered their weapons, the trunk crushed the lot of them.

Maria’s heart skipped a beat. It was probably best to keep away from that person.

Maria hurried over to the prisoner’s tent. A Hallow wielding a rusty sword blocked her path. She cast {Flames}, engulfing the creature. It squealed and collapsed as Maria ran past it. A steel cage was inside the tent with three people inside, two men and a little girl. They looked ragged and filthy, as if left to die from neglect. The young girl was in a fetal position while the two men pulled and kicked at the bars to no avail. They begged for help.

Maria knelt by the lock. “I’ll get you out. Stand back.”

The two men grabbed the young girl and pulled her away from the door. The cage was only large enough for them to stay seated, however, and just barely big enough for them to all move around comfortably.

Maria stepped back and aimed her palm at the lock.

“Behind you!” one of the men yelled.

She barely rolled out of the way of a punch. The Hallow snarled like a rabid beast and pounced. It grabbed her wrists and dug in its sharp nails, then kneed her abdomen. She winced and struggled trying to knock the Hallow off. It tugged and pulled her out of the tent before toppling her.

Despite the pain and bleeding, Maria wrestled with the Hallow, trying to free her wrist. She rolled over, trying to get on top of it. When she managed to break her wrist away, she stabbed the Hallow with her short sword till its health depleted and it dematerialized.

Maria panted and rose back to her feet. Her health had dropped to {230/250}. Just a scratch. Maria hurried back into the hut and cast {Firebolt} on the lock. Sparks and glops of metal blew back and the lock melted away. Maria pulled open the cage door and helped the little girl out first, then the two men.

“Are you guys alright?” Maria asked.

“We’re fine, thank you,” one of them said.

“I wanna go home!” the young girl whined, her cheeks puffy, and eyes red.

“Just follow me!” Maria said and hurried out of the tent with the three. She opened her message menu, and quickly typed something out.

Maria: I got them out. I don’t see any more Hallows in the camp. It should be safe to come back.

As Maria led the trio of captives to the treeline, she came across Chariot. She was in the middle of killing another Hallow. She looked up at the four and smiled before pulling her sword from the beast’s chest.

Chariot hurried over. “Are you three alright?”

“Yes,” said the older of the two men. “Thank you both.”

“You must escape. Follow me, and I shall lead the way.”

Maria followed Chariot and the three captives as they were led to the edge of the camp. A road led away towards the treeline, and beyond it was an open, rolling field. No telling what was beyond it, but it had to be safer than the forest.

“How can we repay you?” one of the men asked.

“The smiles of your families are payment enough,” Chariot said. “Now make haste. I’m going to make sure no more Hallows will come looking for you.”

“Thank you again,” both men said. One scooped up the girl and hurried off.

Maria watched them escape the forest. “Did you know them?”

“No. I simply came to help those in need. Other camps remain. Leave them to fester and Hallows will kidnap more.”

A loud growl came from behind. “I have you two now!”

The Hallow raised half a sword and charged. Chariot raised her blade, but another arrow flew from the trees and struck the back of its head. It fell face-first into the ground with a loud thump and exploded. Maria shielded her eyes as the blast sent out wood chips, dirt, and viscera in every direction. When the dust had settled, she glanced up into the trees, where the hooded figure was. They stood atop a thin branch like they didn’t weigh anything at all.

“Damn elf,” Chariot said.

The figure hopped down from the treetops, and landed before the two. They pulled back their hood and braided golden hair spilled out. It was Tanalia. She opened her cloak, puffed out her chest, and placed her hands on her hips. “Your beautiful savior is revealed!”

Maria stared at Tanalia’s breasts. “Big talk for a small bundle.”

The elf’s eyes widened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Maria made a wide circular gesture over her chest. “I thought elves were known for their melons? All I see are apples. Maybe even kiwis.”

“Size isn’t what makes a great pair.” Tanalia raised her jerkin, exposing her bare breasts. “Perfectly round and symmetrical. Just right for a handful. Go on, feel for yourself.”

Maria smirked. “Don’t mind if I–”

Chariot marched up to Tanalia, blocking Maria. “Are you daft or depraved? Cover yourself!”

“Why?” Tanalia shook her breasts side-to-side. “You jealous?”

Blushing, Chariot crossed her arms and looked sideways. “I have nothing to be jealous of.” Her enormous bust was pushed up by her arms. Whether intentional or not was hard to call.

Clicking her teeth, Tanalia dropped her jerkin. “Whatever…”

With her top down, Chariot proceeded to grab Tanalia by her collar. “Explain yourself. Now! What possessed that head of yours to use explosives? Those people could have gotten hurt!”

“But they didn’t.”

“And what of the forest? It could easily go up in flames! Do you elves not speak to the trees? Surely they speak of their fear!”

Tanalia shrugged. “They said it’s the wet season.”

“What… was that you were using?” Maria asked.

An arrow materialized in Tanalia’s hand. A blue-coated arrow tip gleamed in the sunlight. “Explosive arrow.”

Chariot groaned. “How can you fight with such negligence? You could have killed those people.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Stop using that as an excuse!”

Maria stepped between the two. “Let’s not fight again, alright? The people are safe, everything’s fine.”

“Who are you, by the way?” Tanalia asked.

“Maria. I was in Spirmond.”

“So you saw how much of a pain in the ass this do-gooder is then,” said Tanalia.

“Me? You’ve been the source of my troubles for months!” Chariot said. “Even now, I do my best to rescue these poor souls as safely as possible, but you come in raining hellfire! You’re a stampeding beast ripping tranquility from the world.”

“You’re too damn slow. They’d have been diced into chunks by the time your dumb plan worked.”

“They would have been blown into chunks with your foolish plan!”

“Enough!” Maria snapped. She took a long, deep breath, and relaxed. “What happened wasn’t according to plan, and yes, it was dangerous, but everyone’s safe now. We got off on the wrong foot. Let's start over.” Maria cleared her throat and turned to Tanalia. “I’m Maria, and this is Chariot.”

Tanalia rolled her eyes. “I know who she is.”

Chariot crossed her arms. “As do I. Let us call a truce, for now. There’s another camp not far from here. Others may be in danger. I cannot afford to dawdle longer.”

“Save some folks and get decent XP. Can’t argue with that.”

“I shall handle it,” Chariot said, “Go apologize to nature for your blatant disregard for its well-being.”

Tanalia stuck out her tongue and took off in a sprint, jumping at one of the trees. She leaped from tree to tree like a flying squirrel, pushing off the trunk and hopping to the next.

“Should there be prisoners, she’s likely to main or kill them,” Chariot chased after her.

Maria sighed and rolled her head back. What had she gotten into? As she stood there contemplating, an explosion rang out. Dammit, what else could it be but Tanalia’s arrows? She ran towards the source of the noise.