I got up at what I thought was the crack of dawn. Even though I had rested all night, I didn't sleep a wink. My mind kept going over what I thought of as harmless flirting as it became insults to the women who believed that they were a higher priority for that attention. With that in mind, I resolved to not let my hormones or my propensity to let women dote on me, embarrass either myself or the queen and her family.
I promised myself to be completely professional from this point forward and I dressed for the occasion. I donned my armor uniform and I pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail. I secured it with a hair tie, then folded the long ponytail up to reduce its total length in half and secured it again with another hair tie. I could turn my head from side to side and there was no dragging weight from my mass of hair. I was still reluctant to cut it, mainly because it had taken me almost two decades to get it to the length it was now. Who would want to get rid of something that took that long to grow?
I slipped the blast shield onto my face and used Presence to hold it and make it appear to be embedded into my face. With my hair pulled back like it was, my face was completely exposed. I thought about putting on the green cloak they had given me to cover my face in shadow, then decided that if need be, I would do that when travelling. I hooked my mother's Light sword to my hip and slipped a quiver of arrows onto my back. I even put on my armored gloves and I was as prepared as I could be. I looked out through the wall and could see the pair of guards in front of the door down the hallway.
I walked over to my room's door and opened it, stepped out, and saw them tense up. “Good morning.”
They didn't respond, and I didn't really expect them to. I closed the door to my room and started to walk away. One of the guards walked over to Braya's door and knocked. I didn't wait to see what she was doing, because I figured they wanted someone to keep an eye on me. I didn't need a babysitter, so I walked down the hallway and then down the stairs. I was tempted to head back to the dining room and see what Unodae had prepared for breakfast, then decided that would lessen the impact of our farewell the night before.
I went down to the ground floor of the castle and looked around for the largest gathering of elves. I found them in something that looked like a barracks and walked over to the room and knocked. There were twenty elves in various states of dress inside and one of them came to the door and opened it.
“Yes, what do you... by the ancestors!” The half-dressed elven woman exclaimed when she saw me.
“I require an escort to a specific address. How would I arrange that?” I asked and didn't look at her well-formed breasts through her clear chiffon-like nightie.
“C-c-captain!” The woman said loudly without looking away from me.
“What is it?” A woman asked from across the room. She pulled up her tight leather pants and two others helped her tie the multitude of laces on her hips.
“M-man.” The one in front of me said.
“By the queen's grace.” The captain spat. “Just a minute!”
She pulled off her nightie and exposed her fairly large breasts. Someone handed her the same soft cotton-like cloth Maylia wore under her leather armor, and she slipped it on. It was quite form-fitting and I saw that it was more titillating than seeing her naked. Her thick armored top was added and two women pulled it tight and tied the sides to secure it in place. Now fully dressed, she stalked across the room and over to the still open door and glared at the woman in front of me.
“You could have told him to wait and shut the damn door.” The captain admonished her. “He can see us all getting dressed!”
“I... captain, I...” The woman sputtered.
“The door doesn't need to be opened for me to see.” I said and tapped my blast shield. “Solid metal.”
I could see that neither woman knew what to say to that, so I spoke instead.
“I need an escort to meet my contact and wondered if you could arrange it.” I said and told her the address. “Can you help me?”
“We were already there.” The captain said. “We didn't find anything.”
“You are Princess Sylvana's guard squad?” I asked and she nodded. “You might have been there already; but, I still need to go.”
“It's a far journey.” She said, I assume in an attempt to discourage me.
“I can go alone if it's too far for you.” I said with the hint of a smile.
“I never said...” The captain stopped talking when she realized I had baited her. “I need to consult with Princess Sylvana.”
“As long as you don't intentionally delay me.” I said. “I need to get there as soon as possible.”
“Weren't you bedridden for three days?” One of the women in the room asked.
“Yes. It was a teleportation accident and I almost died.” I said and heard several gasps. “I'm fine now.”
“Is he for real?” One of them whispered.
“I told you he was special!” Another responded.
“I volunteer for escort duty!” A woman exclaimed and held her hand up in the air.
“This isn't a contest to see who gets to go!” The captain said loudly as she turned to face the room. To her surprise, half of the women had their hands in the air. “You can't all go.” She said, dejectedly.
“We'll draw lots!” One of them said, then the room devolved into them organizing the draw.
“I'll be right back.” The captain said and left.
“How many can come?” One of them asked.
“Just keep drawing and write the names down.” The woman next to her said. “The captain can pick however many she needs.”
“I wonder if the princess will come, too.” She said and wrote out everyone's name and tossed them into a sack. “She'll need an escort, too.”
“Ooo! Double duty!” Another woman said and several of them laughed.
They're like kids in a candy store. I thought and tried not to laugh at the spectacle of half-naked elves drawing names from a sack to see who would be travelling with me. They finished drawing a couple of minutes later and one of them wrote down the proper order. I felt the captain returning with someone and waited until they came into the hallway before I turned to look at them.
“Good morning, Princess.” I said to Sylvana and bowed my head to her.
“My captain tells me that you want an escort.” Sylvana said and ignored my greeting. Her captain looked at her with wide eyes at the implied insult.
“So, you're still angry at me.” I said, and Sylvana looked surprised that I would say that. “That's fine.” I said and looked at the captain. “During supper last night...” I told her what happened at the dinner table and how the queen and all three princesses felt insulted and ignored, because the server had gotten my attention. The entire squad of women listened to my story and Sylvana's face was red when I was done.
“He doesn't prioritize the princesses.” One of the squad whispered. “By the ancestors, he is special.”
“After making that mistake, I've decided to keep things professional.” I said to no one in particular. “I need to meet my contact and see if I can deal with my weakness.” I looked at Sylvana. “The queen won't let me move around without an escort. Since your squad has already been to this address, it's only logical that some of them escort me.”
“WE HAVE THE LIST!” A woman yelled and ran over with the list and gave it to the captain of the squad. The woman stepped back from the captain and leaned in close to me. “I'm third.” She whispered with a happy smile.
Which means she's probably going, no matter how many they pick. I thought and gave her a quick nod.
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“Can I talk to you for a moment?” Sylvana asked and motioned down the hallway. I shrugged and walked to where she indicated.
“Look at his hair!” One of them said. “That looks so versatile!”
“Quick! Someone do my hair like that!”
“Me, too!”
“We'll do each other!”
I chuckled at the flurry of movement in the room and the captain sighed and shook her head.
“Hunter.” Sylvana said and I put my attention on her. “You made us sound petty and vindictive.”
“I didn't say that; but, you were.” I said and her eyes squinted at me. “I didn't ask for any woman's attention, and you were insulted when I received it. That was petty. When you were angry at me for something I can't control, that was vindictive.”
Sylvana didn't say anything in response.
“As things stand right now, I won't openly encourage any flirting. What I can't do is stop women from being turned on or getting excited that I'm around. That's not physically possible.” I said. “As you can see, I've covered my eyes again and I've restrained my hair even more than I normally would, just so I would look less appealing.”
Sylvana nodded and glanced at her squad through the still open door. “Some don't care how you look.”
“No, and I appreciate their attention even more.” I said and Sylvana looked back at me. “It means they are judging me on what I've done and how I act and not solely on my appearance.”
Sylvana sighed and rubbed her temples. “They can't all come on an escort mission.”
“Are you coming?” I asked, and she gave me an odd look, then nodded. “Then double the guard.”
“Yes, we need them.” Sylvana said, then she reached out and touched my arm. “Please, don't make a scene like that again.”
“Which one?” I asked. “Last night or just now?”
Sylvana had to think about that. “Last night.” She said, then sighed again. “Both.”
I chuckled. “I doubt I can get close enough to the guards to have them try and snuggle me.”
Sylvana gave me a look that said she didn't believe me, and I chuckled again and motioned down the hallway. We walked back over to the room that everyone was in and she told them the good news about her going and needing twice as many guards. A low cheer greeted her words and the captain read off the top eight names from the list. Sylvana left to tell her mother where we were going and I stood there and watched as the other guards helped the chosen eight strip off.
The elves were of similar height and similar hair color; but, that was the extent of their similarities. Their faces and bodies had subtle and distinct differences. Their breasts were all shapes and sizes and types, their nipples a wide range of colors and sizes as well, and even their backsides were varied with different levels of fullness. There were even a few happy dimples!
The best thing was, not one of them had a lick of body shame or tried to hide themselves from me.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” The captain asked from beside me.
“I am; but, not in the way you mean.” I said and looked over the guards, who had stopped what they were doing and looked back at me. “I really like how confident you all are in yourselves and in your bodies.” I smiled. “I've met one or two women before that have been like that. This is the first time I've meet so many of you at the same time, though.”
“He really means that.” One of them said, surprised. “Who is this man and where has he been all my life?”
That made several of the guards laugh and they got back to work. The eight guards were dressed properly in thick leather armor and equipped with weapons and items needed for venturing in the forest safely. The others dressed in normal attire and the eight guards needed for the escort lined up to wait for inspection. The captain walked down the line, pulled on straps and poked at joints, then nodded when she reached the end.
They all had happy faces and silently congratulated each other for passing muster. With a wave of her hand and pointed fingers, the captain ordered them to fall out and proceed to their horses. It wasn't going to be a leisurely stroll with the carriage this time. It would be a hasty dash to get there as soon as possible, like I requested. Sylvana and I followed the professional guards to what was essentially a stable and I was given a horse.
“Can someone boost it for me?” I asked as I checked the saddle to see if it was secure.
“You can't boost it yourself?” Sylvana asked, surprised.
“Even basic elves can add their mana to a mount.” One of the guards whispered in disbelief.
“All I can do is assist.” I said to her startled face and turned to one of the guards that I recognized. “I don't know your name; but, we've met before. Can you give me a hand?”
The seventh person on the list came over to me and she looked both nervous and grateful. “You remember me?”
“I almost made you fall to your death, so... yeah, I remember you.”
She beamed a smile at me. “I'm so glad!” She said and pet the horse. “This mount is so lucky.”
I laughed at the implication of me getting to ride her instead of the horse. “I doubt the saddle would stay on your back.”
She looked shocked for a second, then she burst out laughing. The captain shook her head and Sylvana sighed dramatically, which made the other guards laugh. I finished checking the horse and slipped off one of my gloves, then held the bare hand out to the one I asked for help. She caught her breath at the sight and I wiggled my fingers at her. Her face went a little red and she slowly took my hand.
“Thanks for the help.” I said and placed both of our hands on the horse. She started to do the speed boost and I pushed my mana into her and the horse to enhance the spell. Both she and the horse gave startled gasps and the horse glowed bright green. They all stared at me as I let the woman's hand go and climbed up into the saddle. It took her a second to recover from what I just did and while she went to her horse and mounted it, I slipped my glove back on and took the reins.
“Mount up!” The captain said and they all climbed onto their horses and did the speed boost to their horses. “Aegis pattern.”
“We're doing a full royal guard rotation?” One of them asked and the other guards started mumbling.
“Quiet! Let's go!” The captain said and pointed, then we all trotted out of the stable and into the street.
As we progressed down the road, Sylvana sidled up beside me and the captain of her guard rode in front of us, while the eight guards formed a circle around us. Quite a few elves were up and about by this time and they stared as we passed. When we reached the edge of the tree-city, the guards surrounding us rotated by one position and we all sped up. Five minutes later, they rotated positions again and the horses were running full out.
We rode for three hours straight, until the horses the guards rode started to pant and their slight green glow faded, along with the speed boost. With a wave of the captain's hand, all the horses slowed down to a trot, then we came to a stop at what looked to be a rest area. Several of those mana trees were there and the guards quickly dismounted. Six of them set up a perimeter and the other two took the horses and spread them out over the rest area. My horse was the only one that still had a full green glow and wasn't tired at all. I stayed mounted and waited while the other horses ate and recharged.
The occasional guard glanced at me and the horse, then they would resume their vigilant survey of the surrounding area. It took half an hour for the horses to rest and the guards mounted up, cast speed boost on the horses, and we resumed our trek through the forest. I wasn't sure if they had called ahead or something, because we passed through a tree-city and the roads were completely cleared for us. We ran through so fast that I doubt anyone could tell who we were, despite all of the female elves that looked at us as we passed.
We stopped again three hours later and the guards repeated their tasks. Unlike the last time, they all gave me pointed stares as I remained on my horse and its glow hadn't diminished in the least. I used a Mana Presence Hand and plucked up a large handful of the mana-infused grass at the base of one of the mana trees and gave it to my horse. It sniffed it as if it didn't want it, then reluctantly took it for something to chew on. That did not go unnoticed.
“How much longer?” I asked.
“The next two cities are fairly close to one another. We will pass through one, run for an hour, then reach our destination.” Sylvana said. “I don't know why you want to visit an empty lot.”
I smiled. “That's why I want to visit.” I said, and I saw her confusion. “You'll see when we get there.”
“Can't you just tell me what you mean?” Sylvana asked.
“RICKCHAWS!” One of the guards yelled. “I can hear their battle cry!”
“By the Queen's grace!” The captain said. “Skirmish line! Keep them from the horses!”
I felt two creatures enter my detection range... then ten more... then a dozen more. “I've got twenty-four of them seven hundred and twenty feet that way.” I said and pointed in the right direction. “Seven hundred. Six hundred and eighty. Damn, they're moving fast!”
“How can you tell?” One of the guards asked. “I can hear them; but, I can't tell what direction it's coming from!”
“I can see them.” I said. “Four foot tall monkeys with thick fur and natural scaly armor on their backs like a brocchula. They are running and swinging on the upper branches of the trees, much higher than the paths your people use.”
The guards all looked at each other in surprise.
“We can offer up the horses and they should leave us alone.” The captain said.
“No.” I said and she looked at me with anger in her eyes. “We need the horses.”
“There's no way we can fight them.” Sylvana said. “If it was just a few of them, there might have been a chance. With two dozen of them?” She shook her head. “They will slaughter us.”
I let a smile spread across my face. “Oh, ye of little faith.”
“What's that supposed to mean?” Sylvana asked.
“Take the guards and protect the horses.” I said and slipped off of mine and pat it. It sauntered over with the others and stood in front of them. I turned on my powered armor and the energy field covered the heavy metal embedded in the cloth and made it weightless. I walked towards the edge of the clearing and I motioned for the guards to move back to the center.
“What are you doing?” Sylvana asked.
“I'm getting ready to fight.” I said and unhooked the hilt of my mother's Light sword from my belt. I used several mental techniques to fortify myself and then finished with the physical enhancement buff and the strength buff. It wasn't going to last long, so I would have to make short work of the monkeys.
“Flanking his sides!” The captain said and two of the guards moved up and drew their swords.
“I appreciate the offer.” I said and looked up at the monkeys that were shaking the tops of the trees. “It's not necessary, though.”
*
Sylvana was shocked to hear him reject their help and looked at the ancient artifact in Hunter's hand. She wondered what he was going to do with it, then he smiled and activated it.
“AH!” Several of the guards jumped back as the Light sword formed instantly and its bright glow could be seen, even in daylight.
“Excuse me for a few minutes.” Hunter said, then he jumped. It wasn't a little jump, either. He flew thirty feet up into the air and landed on a tree branch, then he jumped again. Sylvana, the captain, and the guards stared with open mouths as he ascended into the treetops to meet the rickchaws head on.
“Mother is going to kill me.” Sylvana said in a defeated tone as Hunter disappeared into the lower canopy of the treetops.
“If he dies, I think we are going to be following him soon after.” The captain said. “Ready bows!”
The two guards with their swords out, retreated to the group and everyone took out their bows. They knocked arrows and aimed into the treetops.
“Here they come!” One of the guards said.
“Covering fire!” The captain said and they all let their arrows fly into the path of the monkeys.
The battle had begun.