Chapter 8: The Heist

I take a deep breath to calm myself. This is the first time I’ve been alone in a long time.

I start to walk towards the village I first went to when I arrive in this world. I walk with a slight limp and a weak expression. I tore my clothes, covered myself in dirt and cut myself intentionally, much to the distress of Miria and Isaac.

I calm my breathing and continue through the grasslands.

“State who you are immediately!” I hear a demanding voice from across the plain.

“Help!” I call back almost weakly.

The wind spirit makes their way over and helps support me as I almost fall over.

“Aren’t you the human the village elder sent to collect the world spirit!?” It is the same guard that arrogantly greeted me at the gate of the small village.

“Yes… I need to… speak to Lynnoria immediately.”

“Of course.” The guard nods with a complicated expression, “I’ll take you there immediately please hold on tightly.” I grunt in acknowledgement as he picks me up.

He starts to run back towards the village at his highest speed, probably using magic, as the flow of mana is violently coursing through his body.

“What news do you have? Do you have the world spirit?”

“Lynnoria… will help me.”

The guard nods. He understands I won’t talk until I reach the village elder.

After running for a short time, we run through the gate of the village without even stopping. No one looks twice, but they do check who it is before letting us pass peacefully.

“Village Elder! Come quick!” The guard yells towards the house where I met Lynnoria.

“What is it? I was in the middle of discussing the pl…” Lynnoria stops talking as soon as she sees me. “What happened to you?” She looks at me with a complicated expression.

“Talk… privately.” I slowly speak out.

“Of course, can you walk?” She looks at me from top to bottom. Let’s just say I was not light on myself. I had to make myself look rough.

“Somehow.” I tiredly say as I get the guard to put me down. “Thanks.”

“No problem, I shall now take my leave.” The guard bows slightly as he leaves back to the front gate, probably to resume his patrol of the area.

Lynnoria take me in to the house.

“Isaac has relocated three hundred meters to the west due to a patrol getting near.” I hear Miria’s voice in my head. It turns out, even if she is far away, I can still hear her in my head.

“So, what news have you brought?” Lynnoria sits down at her desk.

“I have the world spirit still.” Lynnoria’s eyes widen as I finish talking.

“How!?”

“I have deceived it. I have brought it under me and it has protected me several times. It is how I am still somehow alive.”

“That is incredible. How come you never went to the Wind Spirit City?”

“I was unable to make it there even after several attempts. We’ve had to retreat several times due to spirits of varying elements and monsters that are too strong. No matter what route we take, we are unable to pass the halfway point.”

“I was not expecting the other spirits to cause this much trouble.”

“I am glad to be still alive you know? This is a death sentence.”

“I am aware.” Lynnoria scratches her head and sighs, “Okay, I’ll guide you to the Wind Spirit City. Where is the world spirit now?”

“In a secure location outside of the village. I came across a patrol on my way back to the village and he carried me back as I am not able to walk too quickly.”

“Logical. So… please guide me to the world spirit. Also, where is that other thing?”

“Miria? How’d you know she wasn’t here?”

“Before, I felt like I was being watched from a different angle. I had no idea from where, but I don’t get that feeling now.”

“Ah, so it was like that. She left me, I haven’t seen nor heard her in a while. She just left me.”

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“Oi!” I guess Miria can hear me.

“That’s odd, it seemed like you two were in good standing. Oh well. Hop on my back and guide me to the world spirit.”

“Simple.” I gently get on Lynnoria’s back. Her small frame was rather strong. She lifts me up and I lightly hold on to her shoulders. “As soon as you exit the gate, head slightly to the left, and go two kilometers that direction.”

“Okay. You may want to hold on tighter, that guard and I have completely different levels of power. Put your arms around my neck.” Lynnoria grabs my arms and puts the around her neck.

I grin slightly and hold on tightly as we leave the house. Some of the stares I got hurt a little, but this is for the best.

“Don’t you dare do anything inappropriate!” Miria scolds me as Lynnoria starts to run with me on her back. Do you want me to blow my cover and retort to that!?

I look at Lynnoria’s mana and see that her mana is flowing around so violently that it looks as if it will explode. Mana isn’t supposed to look like that. The smoother it is, the easier it is to use and the more powerful it will be.

“Directions?”

“Head straight on and turn left once you hit a small creek.”

Lynnoria does exactly as I say. She is looking rather nervous now. Is something wrong? Did she figure out my plan!?

We arrive at where Isaac is hidden.

“We’re here. Isaac, now!” I suddenly strengthen myself with magic while no longer converting my mana’s presence.

I quickly move my arms and extend my legs, I lift Lynnoria off the ground and tightly hold on to her neck I grab my right wrist with my left hand and pull my arm tighter around her neck.

“Ack, why?”

“We need things you have. This was the best way to do this.”

Lynnoria frowns as she struggles slightly. Isaac had already tied her legs together using a hide rope we made. Very smooth, would leave no marks. For kidnappers we may just be the nicest, call us Kindnappers! No? Was the pun too heavy?

“If you just wanted information, you didn’t have to kidnap me.”

“No, we have other goals in mind. You see. I’m also technically a world spirit.”

“I know.”

…

The silence in the air was heavy and everyone stopped moving. Even Lynnoria.

“It’s awkward if you guys look at me like that to you know? I was getting nervous to see what you had planned for me.” Lynnoria calmly sits still after we tied her up. She was leaned against a tree to stay upright, but also tied to said tree.

“You… predicted this?”

“More accurately, I was told to expect this.”  Isaac and I look at each other hesitantly. “Why else would I come alone? What stupid moron would clearly walk straight in to a trap? If I wasn’t told ahead of time that this was going to be a trap, it might have gone differently, but I assume you had several strategies planned that even accounted for me bringing others along?”

We stay silent and frown. I really want to know who this person is that gives everyone information on what I am doing, I’d like to punch them. Just once.

“So you boys going to have your way with me?” Lynnoria smiles “Two young men attacking an elderly woman?”

“Oi, I am married you know? Even though I can’t touch her, it doesn’t mean I’ll be unfaithful.”

“I’m technically underage.” Isaac nods his head. “Technically a month and a couple of days old, for what it’s worth.”

“Ha! As expected of you!” Lynnoria starts to laugh.

Isaac and I look at each other and nod. She needs more ropes. We quickly fasten her to the tree in a way she is not able to move at all, in any way. Rather, it looks uncomfortable.

“So, you guys are missing some information. Let me let you in on a little secret.” Lynnoria sighs, “In every world, if there is a dark side, there is always a light side to combat it somewhere.”

“Sounds too cheesy, can we have something original please?” I say as I look in to the distance with a blank expression.

“It’s not my fault you know!” Lynnoria sighs again. She really sighs a lot. “I’m one of the few people that are attempting to get world spirits back in to power and prominence. World spirits have been treated as objects for far too long. They are living creatures with wills of their own, not tools for war.”

“Are you sure you aren’t doing this because you want the wind spirits to prosper?”

“I am sure of it. I have several acquaintances from many different elemental types.”

“How can I be sure this isn’t all an elaborate scheme to escape and force Isaac and myself into submission so you can use us as slaves?”

“Because if you think these hide ropes can hold me, you have another thing coming to you.” Lynnoria starts to circulate her magic and tries to struggle out.

Isaac and I stare silently at the small frame attempting to escape. She struggles and struggles.

“What are these damn hide ropes made of!? Bearhemoth!?”

“Yep. That is exactly right… if a Bearhemoth is a huge furry creature with long and sharp claws.”

“That’s a Bearhemoth!” Lynnoria sighs “I don’t know how many you killed to get all this, but if you stayed in the forest for that month, it makes sense you’d collect this much.”

“I think we can trust her.”

“I don’t know Miria, she seems to be a little… mentally unstable.”

“Untie me and I’ll show you mentally unstable!”

“And that is why she needs to stay tied up. However, we may be able to trust her on this one.” I start to work on untying the ropes, “Please, please don’t make me regret this.”

“Oh, you won’t.” Lynnoria gives me an evil smile.

“Okay, attached to the tree you will stay. It doesn’t matter to me you know.” I start walking away and then look over my shoulder, “I wonder if Bearhemoths come this far out?”

“Please untie me! I repent! Repent!”

“Good.” I go back to untying Lynnoria and Miria floats over.

“Why do you tease her so much?” Miria asks as she floats partially in to a tree. Why Miria? Why not just avoid them?

“Isn’t she more like a daughter than an elder?” I shrug my shoulders, “Any tension between us is gone and I can’t seem to be serious anymore. I blame Isaac for this.”

“I can hear you! I’m not deaf!” Lynnoria complains as I continue to untie her.

“Maybe you should treat her as an adult?”

“Why would I do something silly like that? Treating someone like a respectable adult, not something I can see myself doing.” I laugh as I finish untying Lynnoria and she jumps away from the tree.

“Aha! Freedom!” Lynnoria starts to make a movement to run away but suddenly sits on the ground. “Youth these days. Always so disrespectful.”

“Argh! You are the worst type of person!”

“Technically not a person, I’m a wind spirit.”

“God damn it!”

“So, are we going to talk like civilized people, or are we going to think of our next step?”

“Next step?” I look at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that your goal was to help free world spirits and bring back balance to this world. Right?”

“That was the goal… but now that you are involved…”

“Stop being a child Alex.”

“I can do whatever I want!” I say as I sit on the ground. “And what I want to do is to sit down and do this thing! Okay, Lynn. What’s the first step to getting this done?”

“There are a few people I would like you to meet. We have to get to know the people we will be working with in the near future after all.”

“Heist failed. Standby for regrouping.”

“What?”

“Nothing, I just felt like saying that.” I smile as Lynn starts to run us through what we need to know.