As we made our way back to the wagon and Smith, I could swear I could see slight shimmers of silver amongst the trees as we flew past them at full speed.
Himora seemed to be calm and unworried, so I chameleon-ed his status.
"These pixies are really getting annoying."
He said between breaths.
"I'm kind curious about how they look."
He had a point. The little Fae seemed to avoid us as if we had a disease...yet in the same, they wanted us dead as if we were some deranged convicts.
"Their territory must be large if we have traveled this far, and still have yet to leave it."
He said, dodging around several trees as we pushed ourselves on.
"maybe pixies rule the majority of the land around here."
I replied.
"I don't know...but thy don't like us being here, that's for sure."
We ran at full speed amongst the trees and underbrush looking to get back to the wagon quickly, just in case the pixies had attacked in our absence.
"Don't worry."
Himora said, seemingly reading my mind.
"Smith is a Dwarven warrior, he can handle himself against a few pixies...I'm pretty sure."
At first Himora's speech was inspiring...until he added the "I'm pretty sure". I hastened my step. I did have confidence in Smith's battle abilities, but pit 10 to 1, or even 5 to 1, even he couldn't hold out...for long. As we rounded the last bunch of trees, my fears were confirmed.
Smith was in a berserk state, swinging his axe and brandishing his shield with the might of a Dwarven God.
"T'IS BOUT TIME YE LADS SHOWED UP!"
Was all he has time to shout as several arrows bounced off of his shield, barely leaving a mark.
"HANG IN THERE!"
I shouted back as I sprang into action.
I was hesitant to attack the pixies. They all were girls, and until now, every opponent I'd faced had been male. I didn't really want to hurt any of them, and at first I found myself tailoring my moves to be a lot more defensive. The pixie that I was now facing held a short, wickedly sharp-looking sword in her right hand, and was probably not going to hold back on her end. I was soon to make an exception with my "holding back" as a small, yet powerful foot collided with my chest.
"OUCH!...HEY! I was gonna go easy on you! But now I'm mad!"
The little pixie before me was about three feet tall...and kinda cute, at that. This one in particular seemed to be fascinated with me as she drew a second sword in her off-hand, and flew at me again.
"AAAAEEEH!"
A sharp battle cry flowed from her tiny mouth as she flipped eloquently through the air, swinging her lethal swords as if they were as light as feathers. It took every ounce of my skill and speed to black the attacks as I backpedaled, but somehow I managed. My spear seemed to do it's own will as it moved from the blade of one of her swords to the other as if attracted by some magical force.
"NEEH! YOU WORTHLESS HUMAN!"
She shouted in frustration as I blocked one last attack and swiftly slipped the blade of my spear under one of her feet. With a flick, she was sent flying into the air.
"Hey! I'm not human...didn't you see my tail!?"
She recovered quickly, flipping several times before landing lightly on her feet. Her eyes shot from my face, to my long brown, fuzzy tail.
"HA! I could care less, you are still nothing to me!"
She flung herself at me again, this time sheathing one sword and taking the other with both hands.
"I'll finish you off where you stand!"
She said cocked her sword back like a axe. Suddenly she shot forward, leaping and flipping toward me in a flurry of shearing slices.
"Not while I'm alive!"
Just as I stepped back and braced myself to counter, Himora's slim form slipped in front of mine and his blade caught hers in both mid-air and mid-swing. The pixie was stunned.
"Imp...impossible!...Uuungh!"
It was an amazing sight to see as both warriors caught each others eyes and seemed to stop in mid-air with their deadly blades locked, before they pushed apart and landed with a flair just feet from one another.
"Bastion, go help Smith...I'll take care of this one."
Himora said, that creepy, calm look on his face and in his voice.
"Um...okay."
Was all I could say. In my eyes, he was making my job easier. He was more of a one-on-one type, and I was more keen on multiple opponents. This was more up his alley, especially if she drew her second blade again. I took a second to pat him on the shoulder.
"Be careful...she's fast."
I warned Himora as I turned toward Smith and his fray."
"Maybe to a spearman as yourself...but I am a swordsmen. This is my specialty."
I gave Himora the benefit of the doubt and ran off on my way.
"He'll be fine."
I reassured myself.
About 15 feet away, Smith was struggling to keep the pixies at bay. Even with his Dwarven strength and stamina, he didn't seem to be a match for the five pixies who chose him as their target.
"DAMN'IN YE STUPID PIXIES!"
Smith was furious. He was outnumbered, but not outdone. It was a Dwarven honor to fall in battle, but Smith was sure that today would not be his last.
"GIVE ME ALL DAT YE CAN, YE LITTLE SPIRITS!"
He shouts as he ducked and blocked attack after attack. He was quite the fighter, but I could see his tire, and I'm sure they could too.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
I broke in as he countered one last attack and stumbled to his knees (but not before his mighty axe collided with the nearest pixie, sending her flying off into the branches of the trees). I stood firm in front of my exhausted comrade with my gleaming spear drawn and its blade hungering for combat.
"You shall not lay a finger on him!"
I probably sounded a lot braver than I looked, but I wasn't going to let them hurt Smith any more than they had.
"I owe him my life...and I'll give it up here and now to pay him back if I must!"
I though to myself.
The pixies seemed to sense my anger and passion, for their guards seemed to lower. All except one. She must have been the leader of this little group. I could only guess.
"Don't be fooled by this lowly human! He has no honor! The aura you sense isn't righteousness, it is only deception! Take him now...DEAD OR ALIVE!"
At this, the little warrior's moral seemed to be raised again, and before I had a chance to respond, they were upon me.