As the mix of ice and snow was blasted into the sky, it separated into several shards of icicle, piercing the body of a man dropping down from the air. He landed on the hard ground while the wagon keeps on moving. Everyone had their jaw dropped to the ground.
"L-Liam.. you are a magic user?" Jamie asked.
"Yes.. I am capable of using the power of ice." Pyr replied. 'I didn't want anyone to know, but it seems my luck ran out.' He thought in his head.
Suddenly, Ethan screamed. "Jamie! Behind you!"
He could only get a glimpse of a man behind him before Ethan utterly slashed him using his sword. He rolled down on the side of the road. Red stained the fine blades of the sword. Ethan lets out a sigh of relief. He looks over to the front to witness the other moving wagons were also being ambushed. The knights fought courageously to protect their passengers but was outnumbered by two to one.
"Ethan, stay on your guard while I try to assist the others." Pyr said as he jumps high in the air.
"Wait! What are you going to do?" He yelled.
He moves his hands in a circular motion, and pushes it towards two wagons in front of them. This time, the ice magic formed into ice shards. One of the assailants from a wagon was knocked off but the other, dodged it. The ice landed on the railings, forming a crystal. Pyr notices it and raises his hand. The ice immediately grew larger and traps their hand. A girl seated in that wagon quickly took away a dagger in the man's other hand. Then, she stabbed him in the stomach.
Blood poured from the wound intensely. He wailed in pain. The girl started to scream out loud as she pulled it back out and thrusted the man in the head. He died as blood continues to pour out. The other one decided to hop off the wagon and ran off into the woods. Pyr made a bunch of snow pillars, breezed through it all, then jumped back into the wagon.
"Are.. are you okay?" Ethan asked.
"Y-Yeah.. just a little tired." He assured.
"Thank you, stranger. You've saved us all." The mother remarked.
"You're welcome. I couldn't have done it without the help of others though."
He stared to the path ahead. He wondered if the others were being attacked as well. He wishes to help but was afraid that he wouldn't reach there fast enough. He couldn't rest until he is sure of it though. The driver then said, "Dear Hero, take one of my horses if you like. Please save us all."
"Alright then. Don't mind if I do."
"Stay safe, Liam." Jamie commented.
He took over the reins of a horse and rode on it. Afterwards, he took off to the open road in lightning speeds. Along the way, the sound of horses galloping got louder with each step. He turned back to see the faces of the other knights.
"Hey, you! We are coming with you!" One of them called out.
"We will help you in every way we can!" The other shouted.
"I got it! Just watch my back!" Pyr yelled.
They knew they were caught up with the others when they witnessed multiple wagons stranded on the side of the road. Most of them were burned and wrecked. Several horses laid dead on the ground with their throats slit. The civilians were huddled in a corner while the knights continued on fighting. Their blades clashed closely. Some had an open wound on their hands and feet. Their blood spilled on the ground. They were outnumbered by a huge margin.
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"I need both of you to defend the villagers, while I deal with the enemy." Pyr ordered.
"Got it!" They heeded his command and pulled out their swords. Next, they rushed a bunch of them, slashing whoever is in the way.
On the other hand, Pyr constructed a barrage of ice spikes at the enemy, temporarily immobilizing their attack. As soon as they noticed him, they begun to charge towards him. He calmly looked at them and whispered, "Hvid tigerånd."
Out of nowhere, his senses were heightened. His heart began pumping quickly. He could hear everything, even the sound of rustling leaves. The world around him felt slow. He dauntlessly walked towards the incoming threat. However, before he could do anything, balls of fire showered down from the sky, annihilating the assailants.
He looked to the sky to see somebody dressed in red. Their face were covered with a mask and wore a large robe that covered their entire feet. In front of him, more knights on horses appeared to the scene. 'Who are these people? Where did they come from? Is that a mage?' Pyr thought. Countless of questions came to him. He calmed himself down and dropped to the ground. The knights who were with him earlier sprinted towards him. "Hey, are you okay?" They asked, grabbing hold of his shoulders.
Before Pyr could answer, he fainted.
⁂
Jamie woke up in the middle of the night. His face was puffy. Next to him was Pyr who was sleeping peacefully. However, he couldn't sleep after what they've gone through and decided to step outside to get some fresh air. Outside, was a scenery of a city filled with bright lights with the cold wind constantly blowing in his face. Jamie needed a place somewhere he can be alone. He walked and walked, further away from his location until he discovers a gleaming, bright lake.
He sat down by the beautiful, mystical lake shrouded by trees and extended his hands out into the water. He gently wiped the water on his face then exhaled, leaving behind a small cloud of mist. Jamie looks over his reflection in the water. His face appeared gloomy, with his eyes drooped. Tears started to fall from the corners of his eyes.
'Why.. am I like this?' He thought in his head as negative thoughts started to cloud his mind.
"Why am I so.. useless? Back then, why didn't I do anything useful? I could only scream while Liam and the others risked their lives to protect everybody." He whimpered.
Jamie continued to cry into the lake until he notices a bright light, shining from above. It was a firefly. It seems to have landed itself on his shoulder. Jamie raises his head to witness something.. magical. Millions of fireflies flew above the lake, lighting up the area. His eyes widen as he looks across the sky and froze in amusement.
"Whoa!"
His attention was immediately shifted when he noticed somebody else there. The person inches closer to him from the darkness. As they walked, the light slowly reveals their features. It was a boy. They had curly dark hair, with a tall, strong-looking figure and wore a black turtleneck. Jamie didn't know what to feel at the moment but sensed no hostility.
"Hello there!" The boy yelled as he waved his hand.
"A-Ah. Hello." Jamie replied.
"How did you get here?" He asked.
"I.. just wanted some fresh air, and ended up here."
Jamie and the boy stood one-on-one. "W-well, I.. uh, am a knight. You see, we were ordered to keep on patrol around the city for any suspicious activities. You know.. there were some people being attacked earlier." He explained.
"Oh, I didn't know. Is there something you want from me?" Jamie asked, whilst gazing at him.
"Yes. I need you to come with me, back to the city." The boy said as he grabs his small hands.
"Oh, huh? What did you just say?" Jamie said, as he blushes. He didn't realize that he was staring at him a little too much. His eyes were big and glowing a bright pink colour. He was mesmerized by them, as if he was drunk.
"Did I startle you? Your hands are sweaty."
"N-no... Uh, that was just.. I washed my hands in the lake." He panicked.
He realized how close they got and pushed the boy back softly. Jamie then turned away from him, feeling embarrassed. 'Oh my gosh, what am I doing? This is so awkward. He must have thought I was a weirdo.'
"Are you alright? Sorry if I disturbed you." The boy continued.
"N-no. Just.. give me a few seconds."
Later on, they returned back to the city. They went to the entrance of a huge hall. Jamie thanked him for the trouble and exchanged their goodbyes. After that, he enters the building and cautiously went back to Pyr, who seemed to be asleep. He thought about the interactions they had along the way.
"Ahem. Mind explaining yourself, Jamie?" asked the person next to him.