"Wake up, Lin."
"I'm awake..."
Alwyn stood above me, dressed fully with staff in hand. I stood up and asked him what was the matter.
"It's been a while, hasn't it? Since we went on our last mission. I couldn't help but notice..."
"It was for dinner! Aliza asked me to find a deer for her stew."
"Don't be so defensive, I didn't mean anything by it. Come, we don't have a lot of time. And bring your staff."
I chased after him through the woods, balancing on my flying staff like the mud-boards people in my hometown used to surf on. Alwyn told me this was the 'proper' way for a wizard to ride his staff.
I agree, it does look quite cool...
I tried to keep up with his speed, but I nearly ran into a tree a few times. He was effortless in his flying, though I suppose that was to be expected considering the difference in our experience levels.
We broke through into a clearing, and he rose with extreme speed. I nearly passed out trying to copy him. I looked down at the ground beneath us and saw a large convoy chugging through the night.
"Who are they and why are they travelling so late at night?" I asked.
"They're that knight's military caravan. For some reason, she isn't with them. It's the perfect moment to take out her search force."
"You mean you want me to take all those soldiers out? And silently?"
"Don't worry, I'll help this time!" he reassured. "I'm 100% confident you can do it. And you don't have to sneak around using your fists like a brute anymore. I can hardly believe it, but you're a real wizard now, Lin. Any respectable wizard could do something like this!"
"But they're trained soldiers... and it's a lot of them..."
"Why do you think wizards are so feared!? We're stronger than 1000 soldiers each. Go."
He snapped, and my staff and I started to fall to the ground.
AAAAAHHHH!!!!!
I cast a wind spell to slow my fall and landed silently. I neglected my staff, though, and I watched as it crashed into the top of a carriage, causing a loud clatter.
"Hm? What was tha—"
Magic bullet!
The bullet fired at lightning speed, striking the man in the neck.
"Ow! Damn gnats!"
It didn't do damage! Damn it...
I had tried to replicate the same spell I'd seen Alwyn cast many times before, a small and precise spell that cut through like a knife. But it didn't work.
What am I doing wrong? That was max output... is it just too small? No, even that seemed kind of large... wait, that's it!
I realized that Alwyn hadn't used a magic bullet at all, but a small rock. No, a grain of sand. I gave up on using a grain of sand, though, and settled on a pebble.
But how does he propel it with such power? That's it, combination!
I enveloped the pebble in wind and shot it into the man's neck. This time, it pierced through his armor and silenced him without a sound. But he wasn't the only one that had heard my staff's clattering.
"Hey, Ariel, are you oka—"
Shush now! Ha! I bet I can take out this entire caravan without making a sound!
I snuck over to the carriage and retrieved my staff.
"Hey! What's wrong, why are you lagging behind!?" a soldier called out.
Damn it, I guess it would be suspicious for a carriage to be lagging behind. Why didn't I think about that!?
I coughed and attempted my manliest voice. "Need to take a piss, no need to wait for us!"
"Who the hell is that?"
Not convincing enough!? To hell with my squeaky voice...
I ran through the dark and cast a strong breeze that swept down the entire caravan. One by one, lanterns and torches went out, leaving the envoy in total darkness.
"Damn it, who didn't cover the lanterns!? I can't see shit!"
Ha... my eyes are used to the dark. I can see!
I jumped onto the carriage in front of me and cast two pebbles, shooting them through the two soldiers.
It seems like each carriage has two of them. Soon enough, they'll realize something's wrong, I have to move up the line quickly and remove as many as I can before they catch on.
I closed my eyes and focused on the three carriages in front of me. I gripped my staff, and I felt the warmth of the obsidian starting to glow. Six pebbles shot through the air, one for each of the six soldiers.
One. Two. Three. Four! Five! I'm really doing it! Six! Magic is so powerful, it feels like I'm cheating!
Six soldiers were killed in nearly an instant, and I wasn't even near them. I couldn't even see them. I could barely stifle my laughing, and a wide grin stretched across my face.
Soldiers... I used to think the royal army's soldiers were scary! They're pathetic when faced with magic!
"Who the hell are you, boy?" a voice whispered into my ear.
What the hell? Am I hearing things?
I swung around, looking for the source of the voice. The light glow of my staff revealed that no one was in my proximity at all.
A ghost!?
"A stray little wizard causing mischief at night? All you guys do is be pains in the ass, huh?"
Above me...!?
An iron foot crashed into the ground. I barely dodged, but the shock sent me off my feet.
"A knight!"
"Who? Me?" the man laughed. "You flatter me! Or have you never seen a knight before?"
"A commander, then?" I asked nervously, feeling around me for my staff.
"I am but a foot soldier, boy."
"But the others—"
"Are volunteers... did you seriously think our lady had hundreds of the king's soldiers at her disposal? In times like these? You wizards really are sheltered," he spat. "So how does it feel? You got your ego boost off these poor people, didn't you?"
"As a matter of fact... I did!"
I swung my staff and pointed it at him, casting a flaming spear. It exploded towards him, but the man ran forwards, striking it down with his sword.
Oh shit!
I held up my staff to block his strike. I prayed the wood wouldn't splinter in two, but luckily, the defensive enchantments seemed to hold up. I leapt backwards to make space between us, but he instantly closed the distance.
I can't cast any spells like this!
I blocked another swing, but this time, he kicked me in the gut. I flew through the air and lost grip of my staff.
"Die you wizard bastard!"