"...huh...hah..." Lucian's chest heaved up and down as he stopped, looking around to see if there was anything he could use as a weapon.
'Get up.' the voice urged, 'You're not safe yet.'
'I need to rest,' Lucian held his knees for support.
If the voice had limbs, it would have probably kicked Lucian into motion, but it didn't have any, and he used the chance to take a break.
'Why can't you just take away its powers? You gave it away so you can take it back, right?' Lucian asked.
'Not possible. The deal was already made.'
'Why did you make it in the first place? Couldn't you just let him die?'
'If I could chose who I make a deal with, do you think I would ever pick a brat like you?'
"..huh...hah..." Lucian grabbed a pitchfork from the haystack near a shed. His legs just couldn't move anymore. His only option was to fight. He had the knights and guards on his side, so he might stand a chance.
'What's the limit of his powers, voice?' Lucian asked, taking in deep breaths. He had to know the enemy's strength before facing it.
'He can track you down from anywhere in the world. And won't die unless you do, or his greatest fear comes true.'
'What is his greatest fear?' Lucian asked, not expecting the voice to answer.
'Failing his mission and being forgotten by the world... It's the same as never existing in the first place.'
'What about me?' Lucian asked, 'How come you can occupy my mind without turning me into a shackled?'
'You are in the middle of a fight,' the voice growled, 'It's not the time to ask questions.'
Lucian didn't argue, but the questions kept lingering in his mind. He observed the approaching shackled.
Its eyes were still glowing gold. It had already killed two of the guards, and was currently fighting the remaining three guards and one knight.
Maybe if Lucian faked his death it would lose its purpose and weaken? Could he trick it that easily?
"Kid! What are you doing?! Get away!" the knight shouted at him.
Lucian snapped out of his thoughts. He no longer had time to think. He had to act fast. He had to protect the little wife that was waiting for him in the future. 'You hear that, future little wife? Your big strong husband is going to fight for you!'
Who said he was going to the church? Lucian dug the pitchfork into the hay and spread it across the road, then he ran to the shed to find a lamp. There, he found a jar filled with oil instead, and he spilled it all over the hay and cobbled road.
"..." The knight realized what Lucian was up to and helped him, running in his direction with the shackled in pursuit.
The moment the shackled stepped on the hay, Lucian pulled a torch off his bag and threw it at the hay, setting it ablaze and blocking the way.
A knight picked him up and carried him to safety. Lucian noticed a pin on the knight's uniform and realized he was a Bronze Knight.
"Must be above tier two," the knight muttered to the guards.
Each shackled had a different character, and this one didn't seem to care about destruction, only about moving in a certain direction.
Carrying Lucian on his back, he continued to run, "It can't withhold the fire forever and it knows it..."
The shackled began to move even faster now, its body covered in flames and smoke, charging straight at them.
The knight swore under his breath, channeling his inner energy into his legs, "As long as we stall for more time, it will weaken!"
Lucian noticed it too. The shackled didn't have much energy left. It was using its last ounce of power to get to him before it ran out of time.
Sounds of horse hooves soon came in their direction. Lucian looked over the knight's shoulder.
A girl peeked her head from the carriage and when she saw the bloodied kid on the bronze knight's back, she gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.
Seeing the dire situation, her knight obliterated the shackled with ease, killing it once and for all. A Sapphire Knight, it was Lucian's first time seeing one.
Lucian and the Bronze Knight both breathed a sigh of relief.
Celine moved her hands away and got off the carriage, running to them.
The guards didn't dare stop her, which was a stark contrast from two years ago, where they had dragged her away like an unruly child. She must have gained more power and control over them, though Lucian.
He wanted to move his legs and flee, not ready to face another assassin so soon, but his legs were too tired, and his chest hurt. The knight was supporting him, so he couldn't run away even if he wanted to.
She probably sensed his fear from the way he looked at her, shaking his head from side to side. She paused her steps, stopping a good distance away.
Lucian winced in pain, the adrenaline faded away, leaving him sore all over.
Celine frowned, motioning to the knight to treat the wounded before returning to her carriage and leaving the scene.
"..." Lucian sighed in relief. They treated his wound and dressed it properly before sending him on his way.
He wished to become a knight one day, but the path to knighthood was a very expensive one.
He had no noble backing or sponsors to pay the expensive costs of the ores and minerals needed to temper his body.
Hay heads were the worst candidates in terms of cost to strength ratio, which meant they required a greater amount of resources to reach the same knight rank.
Not to mention, the ores needed to be treated and blessed by a priest or a priestess to be suitable for consumption, which was extra costs on top of the already expensive ores and minerals.
Even if he managed to get the ores and blessings, he would still have to pass the knight's stages, which was no easy feat.
Lucian had seen Big Ray staying outside in the cold winter, only in his underwear, and with a thick layer of ice over his skin to be able to trigger coppers conductive properties. He could only practice with a supervisor to ensure he wouldn't freeze to death.
And that was only the first stage. The later ones would require even more sacrifices and hardships, with no guarantee of success.
With that knowledge in mind, Lucian gave up on his childish knightly dreams.
Priesthood was another option. Blessings were a unique kind of power, it came straight from the person's core, the purest essence of a person.
Blessing couldn't be used in battle, but they could be used to bless ores, minerals, weapons or to bless a person's health.
Lucian found it to be an occupation for girls, not suited to his warrior nature.
'Warrior nature?' Voice scoffed. 'What a joke.'
'I'm a gang leader, it's the same as being a warrior.' Lucian argued. He might have a weaker body, but he rarely lost when it came to fighting against his friends.
He had his own tricks, like hiding inside a barrel and surprising them with an ambush attack, or making traps to catch them.
Lucian returned to the church to take a rest, happy that he was treated for free, and didn't have to pay a single coin for it.