"Depending on the width of the wound, a suture pen will not work. A suture pen can only fuse, and hold, that's the important part, wounds that are narrow. If the wound is wide enough that you can stick a finger in, and relatively shallow, the flesh will rip open," Ash said as he handed his brother a trio of suture pens.

Henry weighed them in his hand. "How long will these last?'

"Cyrus and I estimate that, if used continuously, they will last at least eight hours each," Ash replied. "Do you remember how to use it?"

"Yes."

"Good." He then presented Henry with a dozen fist-sized rolls of tape as wide as his thumb was long. "Wound tape. This will require two people with wide wounds. One person squeezes together the flesh as much as possible, then the second person uses the tap to seal it. Try to get an equal width on both sides."

Henry nodded once more. He put the items into his bag.

On the quarter deck above them, Nera was steering the ship out, past the harbor, to a wide-open space where Inazuma could appear when her storm portal opened. In the meantime, Ash considered the situation at Elka's end to be dire and began taking out medical equipment.

"Arrow wound care?" Cuts, especially by a sharp blade, could be addressed with the wound tape and suture pen.

"Purification powder to prevent infection. Just a dusting over the wound will do," Ash replied as he handed Henry what appeared to be a metal flour sifter that had been altered. "You can select the nozzle size there." Ash said, pointing to a latch. "Remember, keep the arrow or any foreign objects in to prevent bled out until the wound can be addressed. Once it's removed, make sure to keep the wound. No metal, no wood, no blood-soaked fabric. That's going to cause an infection. Then dust the powder."

Henry nodded his head. From the weight of the sifter, it was almost full. "Do I still bandage it afterwards?"

"Yes, use the clean cloth I gave you. Fold and tuck, then use the regular tape to hold it in place. Check regularly for any bleeding. If the wound is closed, but leaking a little clear, yellowish fluid, that's fine. Next, here are some antidotes."

Henry's head snapped up as he pushed the sifter in the opening of his bag. "Antidote?"

"We don't know if the weapons were poisoned," Ash pointed out. "And considering that the people who attacked Dareisol's sites are questionable, it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Regular soldiers typically wouldn't use poison. It's too costly, but who knows."

Five lavender, hand blown glasses with thick bottoms and walls were pushed forward. "The poison they neutralize are on the side. Next...let's get you some slips." Ash shuffled through his bag. He took out a small pile of cards about the size of a deck of cards. "Healing slips. I don't have much left." One after another, he handed Henry small packets of slips. "Light slips, instant fire slips, silence barrier slips...um, do you need climate regulating?" He paused, appearing to think it through, then took out another set of ten. "Naali can make things cooler, but not hotter."

"Do these need a drop of blood?"

"Either your blood or summoner energy. Whether you can use magic or not, you have a sliver of Traceras mage blood in you. That'll be enough. If that doesn't work, then drop some blood on it," Ash told him. He dug through his bag, trying to take out anything that Henry might need. "Emergency flares and here are three tracking discs." Ash slid small metal discs forward. They were about as big as a regular coin, and the metal seemed to have wrapped around a black stone disc.

Henry still had some magic sensitivity and could feel an energy coming from the disc. As he accepted them, he looked at Ash.

"How do this work?"

"I can track each disc," Ash told him. He took out a flat, circular metal compact and opened it to reveal a matching black stone watch-face of sorts. Henry leaned closer and realized it was like a compass. "This is new, and I tinkered with it a bit, but didn't apply the magic code until Effie's kidnapping reminded me. The edges have four stone beads, and each bead corresponds to one of the discs. Right now, it's on Effie's. The needle is pointing in the direction of Suna. I can turn the edge to a different bead: two, three, or four. You have tracking discs two, three, and four. When the mother disc is close enough, not only will the needle point in the direction, but it'll start to glow, and I can see it at night."

Henry's brows shot up. "That's useful."

"It's a prototype," Ash said. "When this is over, I'll need you to write a feedback report."

Henry gave him a dull look. "Fine."

Ash then used his magic to return Henry's hair color back to its natural dark red.

"Henry, Ash, I'm going to release the flare," Nera said from the quarter deck. She extended her arm, holding the slender stick and shot it into the air.

Henry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Ash patted his shoulder. "You'll get there a lot faster, Brother."

"Two to three days, at the fastest," Nera said as she walked down the steps. " Ash, go downstairs and get my back. When Inazuma arrives, I'll feed her. If she's going to fly non-stop, she'll need all the energy she can get." Ash nodded and rushed to the stairs leading below deck. Nera turned her head to Henry. "When you arrive, Inazuma will be exhausted, no matter how much she's eaten."

Henry lowered his eyes and nodded. "I know."

"She'll need to go somewhere safe to recover for a few hours. Once she drops you off, you'll be on your own."

"I have Naali and Raiju with me, Auntie. We'll be able to hold our own," Henry replied.

"I know, but standing out too much can attract unwanted attention. Be as covert as you can. Failing that, be quick, efficient, and get out. Reduce the amount of time you can be observed."

Nera always told him that summoners of his caliber were rare. Even if he wasn't showing off, he could be deemed as a threat, especially if he suddenly arrived in the middle of a battle and turned the tide by himself, with just his spirit beasts. If word got back to their opponents, they could be inclined to retreat.

Or they could continue their attack and try to lure Henry out with the purpose of bringing him to their side. It was unlikely, but troublesome to be targeted, regardless of the reason.

The familiar crackle of thunder began to sound not too far from them and both Nera and Henry turned their heads. The storm portal was opening.

"Will Inazuma be upset that you summoned her again?" Ash asked as he returned with Nera's bag.

"I will make it up to her," Nera replied as she took the bag from him. "Henry, take one of the ravens with you, just in case."

"What's going on?" Yawning and rubbing her eyes, Anhya arrived on deck and immediately sensed that something was wrong. She looked around and saw the clouds and mass of energy over the water. All the sleepiness on her face vanished. "Is that Inazuma?" She rushed towards the side of the ship and grasped the railing as she leaned forward. "Why is she back?"

She looked over her shoulder at the family standing on deck.

"Henry needs to make an emergency trip to the center of East Iveria," Nera told her.

"Your future godsister-in-law might be in trouble," Ash said, almost at the same time. Henry shot him an irritated glare as Anhya gasped.

"Brother, you're engaged? Why didn't you tell us?" Anhya said as she trotted forward. "Is she the half-elf daughter of that Dareisol general?"

Henry opened his mouth to acknowledge that, but paused. He squinted at her. "I don't recall telling you."

"You didn't," Anhya replied. She pointed at Ash. "He told me."

Ash's eyes widened and he snapped his head at her with a silencing look. Henry looked back at him with a cold expression. "I didn't say then that they were engaged. I just said-"

"What did you say about us, Ash?" Henry asked in a low, icy voice.

Ash swallowed the lump in his throat and kept his eyes diverted. "I just mentioned you two were in communication."

"You said they were exchanging let-"

"Shut up, Anhya!" Ash hissed and made a slicing motion at his neck as he glared at her.

She rolled her eyes. She looked at Henry, her face more serious. "Brother, be careful."

"I know."

"Will you not be returning to Suna?"

"No, we have a business deal with an Ashtar contact we need to deal with," Nera said. Anhya blinked and her mouth opened just a bit.

"Is this one of those exiled old men?" Anhya asked. "They came to Suna, too. Mother is bothered that Ashtar was so inhumane as to send the elderly out. We can't get involved, but Mother let me use my charity organization to give them some shelter and time to recover while in Suna."

Nera touched the top of her head. "The Ashtar Emperor cares not for their age or health. If they oppose him and his son, he will send them away. But those elders will not forget our compassion."

Anhya glanced at Henry before looking back at Nera. "We are planning for the long term. They may be unfavored now, but I'm sure Brother will not let them suffer when he returns. I consider it paving the way for future allies."

"My goddaughter is smart to look ahead and see potential."

A roar of a dragon sounded and Inazuma's long, serpentine body shot out of the storm portal.

Ash and Henry continued to go over items Henry may need while Anhya alternated watching them and then the dragon being fed what looked to be half a cow.

"Inazuma, can I shield you with magic?" Ash asked as the dragon tilted her head back to swallow the meat. After a few moments, she let out a snort. Nera answered for her. "That's fine, she trusts you."

Ash nodded and stood at the edge of the ship. Henry watched as his brother's demeanor changed in an instant. The flighty, energetic Ash was replaced with one focused, with precise movements, and surrounded by a suffocating magic energy that was so dense, those who had strong magic sensitivity, but weak ability could drown in it.

"What's he doing?" Anhya asked.

Ash was waving his hands, moving his arms around him as if writing something invisible in the air.

"Magic can be used as a shield around an object. The term is enchantment," Henry told her. "Ash is weaving magic around Inazuma to help with external forces. In this case, wind resistance."

"And lightening her body," Ash said. "This will make her faster. The faster she goes, the sooner you get there, the sooner she can rest."

Nera looked at Henry. "Do you have all the slips for travel? Climate regulation, pressure regulation?"

Henry nodded. "Ash activated some on me. At dawn and sunset, I will refresh with another set."

"I can't believe you can ride a dragon," Anhya whispered. Her eyes crinkled up as she looked at the massive beast floating over the water. "You're so lucky."

Henry smiled a bit. "They had dragon rides at the Invitational."

"What?" Anhya's face fell.

"Your brother didn't get to go. He was too small to ride."

Anhya grit her teeth. "I need to go next time."

"All right. I triple layered the magic shields, and did two extra sets timed to release a day and a half after each." Ash wiped some sweat off his brow. He looked at Henry. "You're ready to go."

Nera helped Henry take a seat behind Inazuma's head and taught him what to hold on to, as well as helped situate Midnight the raven in the folds of his gambeson for the flight. After the basics, Ash slapped another charm on him to delay his need to use the toilet, and then stepped back.

Within moments, Henry was cutting through the sky. The sun felt much closer, and he could swear he felt its rays on him despite the colder air the higher they were.

He shut his eyes and leaned down, resting his upper body on the soft mane of the dragon. When they were over the border region between Dareisol and the assorted principalities and kingdoms to the southeast of it, Henry would be tasked with finding Elka.

While Ash knew that she had used his slips, he couldn't tell him where exactly Elka was. All Henry could do was look for a Dareisol camp and hope that Elka had returned. Failing that, he'd need to find out where she was last seen.

He drew his lips inward and bit them as his jaw clenched.

Elka's exact location could be classified, and the Dareisol camp might not tell him where she was. If that's the case, he'd have to rely on the spirit beasts, but their range was limited. He'd still need to be in the general vicinity and close enough for Naali and Raiju to go forth.

Unlike Simir, who was so powerful he could be away from Henry physically for a long time, Naali and Raiju were tethered to Henry.

He suddenly wished he could utilize Effie's animal information network or had given Elka a tracking disc before.

He was well aware of his shortcomings, but at the very least, he had his family there to make up for it.

Now, he'd have to depend on the soldiers at the Dareisol camp, and there was a good chance he wouldn't get the information needed from them.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

"How did you know she's missing?"

The corner of Henry's eye twitched. Several Dareisol soldiers surrounded him as soon as he asked the suspicious question of 'do you know Elka Arelias?'

Henry drew his head back and forced his face to pale. "Missing? What do you mean missing?"

The soldiers didn't drop their guard. The sun had just set, and Inazuma had flown like mad to get Henry there in two days. She was exhausted, as Nera had warned, and dropped off Henry near what appeared to be a small camp.

Flying low and nearby, Raiju confirmed that the camp had soldiers, and they were speaking in Dareisol's language. Henry took the risk of getting off of Inazuma and checked the camp himself. Inazuma went to rest further away. Henry would send a signal via lightning from Raiju when he needed her.

As a result, Henry approached the camp, appearing relieved to have stumbled across a random camp in the forest, in the mountains of disputed territory.

"Why are you looking for her? How do you know her?" one of the soldiers asked.

Henry looked around. "We're friends from Carthage Harbor. I'm a merchant going through this region on a site review," he said. He didn't know if the soldiers understood, but that was actually very plausible. He'd spent a few months on the Dragon Continent for such a reason. "I heard you speaking Dareisol, so I asked if you know her." He took a step back, but didn't move too quickly. He was surrounded and no one seemed to want to let him get away. "She's a spear master and archer?"

An older man stepped forward. He wasn't wearing a uniform, but rather a simple gambeson, pants, and light armor combo that most soldiers wore daily. His eyes had lines in their corners, and his hair was starting to show gray, but he stood tall and proud. If Henry were to guess, he'd assume he was some sort of senior officer.

"Who are you? This is not the place for a merchant," he said in a low, threatening voice.

Henry weighed his options and concluded that lying would probably do more harm than good. "Henry Atractas of Carthage Harbor. My aunt and adoptive mother is Nera Atractas, goddaughter to Empress Alexandrina. My family owns Snake, Scarab, and Sons."

In the dying sunlight, Henry saw the flicker of recognition in the older man's eyes, but he remained looking stern and didn't move from his spot. "Can you prove your identity?"

"I have travel papers," Henry said. He held up his arms to show he was unarmed. The old man looked at the bag across his chest and nodded.

"Take them out."

Henry let out a breath of relief. He didn't want to appear too calm. Too calm was a red flag.

After he fished out his travel papers, he handed them to a soldier to bring to the old man. The old man shifted through the papers. He pursed his lips and slowly nodded.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

He gathered the papers together and handed them back to the soldier to return to Henry.

"What is the Young Master of Snake, Scarab, and Sons doing here?"

"I'm passing through on business and Elka said she was here. I brought some things for her, but...." He motioned towards one of the men who'd first accosted him. "They told me she's missing. What's going on? Since when?"

He was handed his papers, but the old man didn't entertain him.

"You may leave your package here, but you can't stay. This is not a civilian camp. Also, I advise you to be careful on your travels crossing the area."

Henry took a deep breath and released it. He knew he wouldn't get any more information.

"Can you at least tell me where she was last seen?" Henry asked. "If she's missing, I can be of assistance."

"There is no need," another soldier said in a firm, irritated voice. "This is not a civilian matter."

Henry narrowed his eyes. He quietly put his papers back into his bag. He wanted to try to reach out to his last hope. "Is there anyone else from the Arelias family here? One of her brothers perhaps?"

"Young man, if you do not leave immediately-"

"Atractas!" a loud voice boomed, and Henry turned his head to the left. A man appearing frazzled was rushing over. He had one arm bandaged and seemed to be limping, but otherwise seemed fine.

Henry narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Why are you here? Don't tell me you made your injury worse?"

"It was fine when I arrived, but I overstrained it," Efan Arelias, Elka's older brother struggled to reach him faster. With no regard to the soldiers around him, he blurted out the situation. "Elka went missing a few days ago. Her location was attacked and by the time we reached the site, she and a few soldiers were gone."

The older man's eyes were wide with disbelief, his mouth almost agape as he looked at Efan with horror. "Junior Commander, what are you saying-"

"This asshole is my sister's boyfriend," Efan cut him off with a stern frown. Henry's brows almost shot up with surprise. Efan admitted it? Things must really have been dire. "He's also the best swordsman in Carthage Harbor."

Henry wanted to refute. That title went to his aunt, but he needed the leverage right now.

"Tell me where the camp was and where any tracks were headed," Henry said. "I'll find her."

"How can you find her? You don't even know where we are!" one soldier, who had seemed particularly irate earlier, now appeared even more hostile to Henry.

Henry's cold eyes met his. "I'll find her." His voice was low and laced with certainty. He looked back at Efan. "Tell me what you know."

Efan nodded. "We'll prepare a group to go with you."

"I'll need a horse."

"You were traveling without a horse?"

"Just tell me if I can borrow a horse or not!" Henry snapped. Efan frowned, but nodded. He looked at one of the other soldiers. "Prepare a horse for him and get me ten, no, twenty soldiers who are well rested. We'll go with Atractas."

"You're injured."

"Tis but a scratch!" Efan retorted. "Follow me to my tent. I'll show you the map. The terrain is difficult for us to track, but you might be of use."

He turned and started limping forward. Henry let out a low breath and frowned, but followed. He didn't want to let his chance go, and if Efan forced him to bring him along, he'd allow it just to avoid wasting time arguing.

Several people followed them and since Efan didn't protest, Henry didn't question it.

The tent was small, but still better than the simple canvas tents of regular soldiers. Inside, several lanterns had already been lit, and Henry noticed some familiar faces around a large table that took up almost half of the room

There were maps and various items strewn about the table, and as Henry approached, he could make out the topographical maps of the area with markings.

One of the men in the tent stood up straight. "You're Young Master Atractas!" It was one of Elka's other brothers. He narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "I never finished what I started at the palace-"

"Eli, stop it. Now's not the time," Efan said, holding out his good arm to stop his brother from coming at Henry. "We need all the help we can get to find Elka." The other man scowled, irritation written all over his face, but he conceded with a nod. "Show him the map."

Henry quietly let out a low breath, relieved that at least there was someone willing to help him. Though, he supposed in this case, the Arelias family wanted him to help them.

He approached the table as the seven men and women in the room made space for him.

"We're here," Efan said, taking a small stick and pointed to an area on the topographical map. "Elka and her troop were located here, past this mine site, to act as a buffer between the Dareisol leased mine and an aggressive patrol acting out on behalf of the neighboring mine. The harassment has increased steadily in the last two weeks."

"Were there skirmishes?" Henry asked.

"Elka's troop reported that they had blocked the patrol's way three times, twice bring at night. Their goal seemed to be mining equipment," Efan told him.

"Another troop was dispatched to replace hers after they went missing. Twenty people were in the troop. Five were patrolling the mine site at the time, seven were found in the vicinity, injured to varying degrees. One of our men didn't make it." Eli's voice was tight.

Henry inhaled and released a deep breath. "That leaves seven people. Are they all unaccounted?"

"Yes," Efan replied with a solemn frown. "It seemed that there was a chase, according to what we were told. We followed the tracks in the directions the survivors pointed out, but a fire had spread, covering the area."

Henry's head perked up. "A fire?" For a moment, he could hear Ash's voice about an instant fire slip.

"It charred the ground. We couldn't track any further," someone said.

"There were no signs of them after," Eli told him. "There were arrows nearby, but they weren't ours."

"Is it possible they were captured?"

Efan released a low breath and shook his head. "We did a raid last night. There were no signs at their camp of any prisoners. Plenty of wounded, including a good quarter of them covered with burns from the fire. It seems they retreated once the inferno got too large."

It was a good enough starting point. "How long will it take to get there?"

"A half day."

Henry nodded. "Let's go now."

No one disagreed. Nearly everyone in the tent wanted to come, but Efan gave orders and only brought Eli with him to join the group. A brown horse with a plain leather saddle was presented to Henry.

"Should we get torches or lanterns?" someone asked.

Henry activated a light slip and clipped it on the reins of his horse. The slip began to glow with a bright light that was able to illuminate several paces around it. "No need. I have several. We'll have more than enough."

Efan mounted his horse and sneered. "I almost forgot your brother is a mage."

"My brother is the reason I'm here," Henry said as he grabbed the saddle and pulled himself up. "Ash gave Elka several magic slips before she left Carthage Harbor, including a few for wounds. A few days ago, he suddenly sat up and said that almost all of them were activated at once. Including the wound slips."

A chill seemed to go through the group. Efan's eyes narrowed and his voice was breathy, as if not wanting to know the answer. "Is Elka injured?"

"I don't know, but she used them. Either she or someone in her troop is," Henry said.

One of the soldiers let out a snort. "So, you weren't just passing through for merchant business."

Henry kicked the side of his horse to go forward. "I'm a merchant, and Elka's safety is my business," he said in a curt voice.

"Who are you to Elka?" One of the newly arrived soldier's voice rose, and Eli and his horse got between them.

"He's my sister's boyfriend."

The soldier sucked in a sharp breath and seemed stunned to hear the revelation. Henry ignored them and rode forward, towards the burn site that had been marked on the map.

He suspected that rather than use the instant fire slip to light a fire, Elka used it defensively to distract the opponent and allow them to get away.

Still, if it had happened a few days ago, why hadn't they returned to camp if the site was only half a day away?

The only plausible answer was something went wrong.

As they rode through the forest, they passed the mining site, which was heavily walled off. Dareisol soldiers patrolled nearby.

No one said much aside from commenting on how useful the light slip was and Efan pointing out where they'd searched and found the wounded.

It was deep into the night when they reached the site of the attack. By now, most clues would've already been found and recorded by Dareisol soldiers coming out after a distress signal was sent, and then trampled by the many feet that passed through.

Henry looked to one side. Down that way, according to the map, was the new mine that was trying to encroach on the established Dareisol leased one.

Many wounded were found further back, closer to the Dareisol mine after having been pushed back.

He then turned his head forty-five degrees to the left. The fire was in that direction, neither going back towards the Dareisol mine nor pushed forward towards the aggressor mine. Henry pursed his lips and tugged on the reins to re-direct his horse before going forward.

"You don't want to take a look at this area?" Eli asked, somewhat confused that Henry had only paused at the site.

"The burn site will be more telling," Henry replied.

The burn site took another half hour or so to get to, and Efan reported all the signs they'd followed to lead them there.

From the dark marks on the ground, the burn site was narrow, but long. Henry dismounted and walked over the charred ground. Fire slips would've ignited dry material suitable for a fire. The climate of the region wasn't very dry, but it wasn't too wet either. A fire wouldn't spread too quickly.

He knelt down and ran a hand across the charred earth. He followed the line of the scorched ground. He knew Elka must've done it on purpose as a distraction, but he began to think that it happened far later in the expected timeline.

"Before this, were there any signs of awkward footsteps, dragging bodies, or attack remnants on the plants and ground?" Henry asked.

"A few yes. We suspect someone was injured," Efan replied. "But after his area, we couldn't find the same telling signs."

"There were no burnt bodies found on the site, so they didn't perish in the fire," someone said.

Henry stood up. "Raiju, go one direction and search for Elka. You know what she looks like. Naali, go in the other direction."

He heard the responses of the two spirit beasts before there was a slight cold breeze on one side and a slight electric current on the other.

"Did you feel that?" someone asked. "It got cold all of a sudden."

"Stop it. You make it sound as if this place is haunted."

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't feel cold," another soldier replied with some irritation. He looked around and shuddered. "Although, the air feels...different here."

Henry didn't respond. He waited a few moments before Raiju and Naali came back, both replying that the areas they searched came up with nothing. Their current search range could only extend as far as eight hundred steps from Henry. It was enough to search a house, even a decently sized estate, but not a vast wilderness.

"If they want that way, they'd be going towards the enemy," Henry said. He then pointed in another direction. "That way is the mine and the camp. They would've arrived by now or at least we would've found evidence of them. Have you checked the other directions?"

"Yes, but we didn't get too far."

"Split into two groups." Henry reached into his bag and took out some light slips. "Here, take a few." He handed three to Efan and then looked up. "Midnight!" A large black bird that had been following and landed on the trees along the way fluttered up and came towards him, landing on his shoulder. "Follow Efan."

"What can your bird do?" Efan asked as he squinted.

"If you find them and more assistance is needed, send Midnight to find me. There's a chance we won't see the flare. If we find them, Midnight will be higher up and will see the flare. He'll start tugging at your clothes to lead you in a particular direction."

One of the soldiers looked impressed. "A bird can do that?"

"My aunt trained Midnight and his siblings," Henry said. "For safety purposes, a raven always follows one of us."

"All right." Efan removed his glove and poked his finger with the tip of a dagger to put just a drop of blood on the light slip. Another bright glow overlapped with the one coming from the light slip on the horse. "We'll go until dawn and then search the area. If we don't find them by this time tonight, we'll regroup here."

Henry nodded. If there were injured people, it was likely that they couldn't have gone far. They also weren't on horseback like Henry was, so they likely wouldn't cover as much ground.

Henry took half and went with Eli in one direction while Efan led the rest of the team down another.

Both spirit beasts circled the radius of eight hundred paces around Henry, trying to find not just Elka, but any other person, whether dead or alive.

It didn't take long for Henry to put together that there were pairs of enemy soldiers hiding nearby. When they were spotted, Naali was tasked with lowering the temperature around them to the point of freezing, preventing them from attacking.

Henry didn't deal with them directly, nor did he tell Eli and the others. Stopping to attack and capture the enemy soldiers would take up valuable time to search.

"They're everywhere...." Naali said after returning from her fifth. "They don't seem to be patrolling, just waiting."

Henry's lips tightened into a line. Having enemies hidden and dotting the landscape was troublesome. If Elka or her troop were injured, dragging an injured person through the forest where they could be attacked was like walking into the middle of a target range.

If he were in that situation, he would find a place to hide, tend to his wounds, and wait for Ash or Nera to find him.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

She didn't know how many more people were lying in wait, but the surprise attacks had injured the only two other people who were unharmed during the initial raid. Their seven remained, and she didn't know if the others they'd left behind had already been found.

Elka and the other six had defended and then fled, trying to draw away their attackers to give the others time to hide. The attack happened at night, and they initially scattered with plans to meet at a rendezvous point.

Who knew that aside from the patrol raid that came at them, there were groups of enemy soldiers lying like snipers in wait all over the forest.

Everyone had been wounded by an arrow somehow, with the deep cut on her leg as the result of her retaliation against them. When they were found, Elka rushed forward with a sword to hack at them, as she'd long run out of arrows.

By morning, they were heavily injured and couldn't keep moving, else the wound would only be aggravated. Several of them had already lost more blood than they'd like, and four of them still had arrows lodged in their bodies.

To buy them time, before dawn broke, Elka had them help pile a line of dried brush before igniting it with one of Ash's slips. She had brought all of them with her, but hesitated to use them unless it was absolutely necessary.

All seven of them were injured, three with leg injuries, with the third one unable to walk at all. It was time to use the slips.

Once the fire was raging, they used it as a cover to hide downwind. Elka went out of her way to try to hide their footsteps. Every time they were attacked by one of the hidden archers, they would duck and Elka would crawl to try to get to them.

They traveled until they found a place to hide. It was then that Elka used up all of the wound slips that Ash gave her to try to care for the most severely wounded of the bunch. The note on them told her that once they applied, they needed to remain still in order for the flesh to reconnect, as it wasn't instantaneous.

For the last few days, they remained in a crevice between rocks, tending to their wounds and surviving off the last of their rations.

"Harold, how's your leg?" Elka asked. She hesitated to use any more light slips, for fear that the light glowing from the cave would give them away.

"It should be healing. I can feel the wound itching as it scabs over," one of the soldiers who was a bit older than her replied. "How about you?"

Elka had reluctantly used one of the slips on the gash on her thigh. She had a few minor cuts and grazes from barely missed arrows, but it was her thigh wound that was most severe. "I should be fine." She looked around at the others in varying stages of healing, though still remained looking pale in the spots of sunlight. "When the sun sets, I'm going to try to make it back to the camp to get help."

Night kept them hidden from the archers. As long as she was quiet and didn't run directly into them, she should be fine. Now that her leg was a bit better, as long as she moved slowly and didn't do anything too straining, it wouldn't tear and bleed.

"You can't go alone," one of the men said. Part of an arrow was still in his shoulder. "I'll go with you."

"No, I'll go alone. The rest of you should stay here and wait," Elka told them decisively. "You've all almost blood and someone needs to stay and defend in case the hiding place is found out."

"What if something happens to you?" The other woman in the group asked with a frown. "At least one other person needs to go."

Elka shook her head. "It's too danger-"

She paused and her ears twitched. She sat up straight and narrowed her eyes before holding up her hands to signal for them to stay silent.

The small crevice that barely held the seven of them filled with tension.

She heard footsteps. Not the rustle of animals in the forest. She knew what those sounded like.

These were human feet crunching on the foliage covered ground. The air was quiet.

One of the soldiers peered through a thin crack. He muffled his gasp and turned back to look at Elka. He pointed outside, his face even paler than it already was.

"Enemies?" Elka mouthed. The man nodded and held up three fingers.

Several others tried to look through the gaps in the stones nearest to them. Each person seemed to freeze. One by one, they turned back to Elka, and raised a hand.

Three on one side. Five on another. Someone held up both hands.

Elka swallowed hard. They were surrounded.

She didn't understand the language they were speaking. She was certain it was Ashtari, but she was just learning, and the speed they spoke, combined with an accent that wasn't a 'capital' accent that Henry and his family had, she couldn't make out what she was saying.

Her remaining troop had no more arrows. Only their swords and knives. Those were for close-distance fights.

If their enemies had arrows, they could shoot her before she made it out two steps.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tucked against her chest were the last two slips. Both were for instant frost. Once she activated it, she'd have to throw it into a crowd. In three counts, it would send out a burst of magic energy that would freeze everything within ten paces at once.

The problem was she only had two slips left, and her enemies were all around them.

"Elka?" The soldier who was heavily wounded and couldn't walk whispered. "What do we do?"

She took a deep breath. She didn't want to put too much stress on her leg, but she needed to try to get her opponents grouped together. It would require speed and agility. Both of which were not as good as she would've liked.

She lifted Ash's slips. "I'll take care of them."

The others looked at the slips and seemed relieved. They'd seen what other slips were capable of doing, so they must've had some hope. Elka didn't want to crush it.

"Let us cover for you," the woman told her. "At least we can buy you enough time to activate the spells."

Elka hesitated. She craned her neck towards the nearest gap. Her eyes widened. They weren't even trying to hide any more. Arrows were drawn and pointed at the mound of rocks that were piled beside a jagged mountain slope.

Her eyes darted to the small entrance. She knew they were looking for a way in, and that it was unlikely that they'd try to fight their way inside. It was too much effort and dangerous. They would get close and wait outside the entrance. As soon as someone emerged, they'd riddle them with arrows.

Elka's breath shook. She looked down at the slips in her hand.

"I can do this alone," she said. She gave them a firm look, which masked how nervous she was. "Just wait."

Crouching to avoid hitting her head on the top of the cave, Elka turned towards the entrance. From the morning light outside she could see several people a few paces away, weapons drawn.

On the positive side, they were gathered together.

Elka picked at a scab that had formed on the side of her hand and brushed one of the slips against it.

As it began to glow, she felt it harden and become more weighted, more suitable for throwing. She moved closer to the narrow entrance.

The opponents must've seen the glowing of the slip, as their voices rose. They lifted their bows and Elka threw the slip between the stone and outside. She watched as it flew between two people and hit someone's leg. Confusion filled that man's face as he looked down at what had hit them.

The man bent down to pick it up, but before he could touch it, Elka felt a blast of cold air. She turned her head away and gripped her sword. As soon as she heard the crackling of ice, she rushed out.

Six people were frozen in place; their faces filled with confusion and surprise. They weren't going to cause any more trouble, so Elka bypassed them. Her target was the group who were too far to freeze.

Caught by surprise by the instant freeze slip, it took a few moments for the surviving archers to realize she'd come out and was coming straight towards them. Those few seconds of pause were enough of a head start.

Elka cut down, hitting a bow to the side before cutting up and back to hit and slice the archer closest to her.

Voices came from all around her as she turned, trying to keep her focus on one opponent at a time and close distance. It would be too late for them to get a close-range weapon when she reached them.

Her sword had lost its sharpness. Its cuts weren't as clean as before, so Elka switched it and used the pommel as a hammer. If she could, she'd damage their bows to prevent them from shooting.

A strike beneath the jaw, between the eyes, and into the chest were good enough to at least push them back long enough for her to stab them. Blood splattered across her dirt covered face as she stepped to the side to avoid an arrow. It swept past her, and she felt a hot, sudden streak just above her left brow.

Blood began to bubble and slid down.

She silently swore to herself. Blood in her eye would obscure her vision.

She had one more slip. She turned around to the handful of soldiers in front of her. Her hand rose and she wiped her fresh blood on to the last slip.

There were more people coming. The slip couldn't get all of them. She'd have to act as soon as the slip released its energy.

Elka pinched the slip between her fingers and pulled her arm back before throwing it towards the largest cluster. She then moved back quickly, and was in mid-step when the slip went off. She lifted her arm to cover her eyes.

Crackling of ice sounded and the air grew chilly. Elka lowered her arm and readied her sword.

Her eyes widened. Did Ash give her the wrong slip? Instead of ice within a few paces of the release point, all the enemies were either frozen, or getting there.

Shouting was heard and she lifted her head. The blood drained from her face as further away; more enemy soldiers were rushing forward.

Elka took deep, even breaths. Her eyes remained fixed on them as she gripped the sword carefully in her hands and raised it.

The more she killed, the less her troop would have to face. She lifted her heels and prepared to fight.

Before she could take a step forward a boom sounded through the air, making her ears ring. She grimaced and braced herself at the sudden sound, then saw the flickering white flash of jagged light hurtling towards the enemies. It split into various bolts hitting the ground beneath them, the trees around them, and at least three people.

They were thrown into the air, running from the fallen trees, or twitching on the ground.

Elka's eyes widened, and her legs began to grow weak.

She didn't have a lightning slip.

"Elka!" A male voice shouted behind her. She whirled around, but her legs would not keep up. They gave way beneath her and crumbled to the ground.

A pair of arms caught her and brought her close. She saw dark red hair and a familiar face above her. Her eyes crinkled up as her vision grew reddish with blood coming down the side of her face. Despite this, and the fact that she was sure her wound had torn open, she smiled.

"Henry, you came."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.