A few Moments Earlier

  Tucker proned on the ground with his ghillie suit over his body. He held onto the two spirit companions and covered them beneath his arms. Their feathers and scale brushed against his face as the leaves beside him crunched under the enemy soldier’s heavy steel boots and, with it, his composure.

  Ah… I’m so fucked.

  Tucker held his breath and grabbed a handful of dirt between his fingertips. The moment Gale left, the eyes within the detection magic immediately flicked in his direction. Like they were drawn to the scent of something sweet. He didn’t even know it was possible, but if he had to guess, the eyes had locked onto his spirit essence. For such a thing to happen was unheard of, and if others told him of this. He wouldn’t believe it. Yet here he was, witnessing it firsthand.

  His thick ghillie suit was composed of several leaves and branches, all hastily scrounged up that he threw over his body along with some tall grass. If it wasn’t for the concealment drills his instructors ingrained into his heart and soul. He wouldn’t have been fast enough to hide himself, much less Alex and Blaire’s companions.

  Tucker kept Newton and Sally beneath his arms, trying to calm the spirits that had sensed the foes approach them. They were scared, and there wasn’t much he could do. He needed to avoid detection somehow and sneak past the five soldiers who patrolled the area. Even though most of them were scattered around him, only one made the back of his hair stand.

  He couldn’t quite place his hand on it, but an uneasy feeling crawled through his skin. Like a thick miasma wrapping around his body. No matter what he did, he kept getting chills through his body, and their voices seemed to phase out from recognition. All he could do was keep his head down and scan the area with his eyes. Remaining perfectly still with his heart pounding in his ears.

  It felt like death was watching over him. Slowly looming over him with a sharp blade pressed against his neck, yet he didn't feel fear. His body felt cold from the frozen ground, and the early spring weather was still chilly at night. The only thing he could see from his perspective was the shins of the guards as they drew closer. They were all wearing armor from their head to their toes. Four were equipped with brand new armor, custom fitted to their bodies, while the last knight’s armor had lost its luster. The group seemed to be a batch of fresh soldiers, excluding the aged knight. Each step crushing the blades of frozen grass. Once one of the knights came close enough. He could hear their voices.

  “What are we looking for?” A young knight asked while adjusting his shining silver armor.

  “The mages detected movement from over here. We’re looking for anything that seems suspicious or tracks that could have been left behind,” an old knight wearing a lion-shaped helm replied.

  “There’s no telling if they’re correct with that new spell of theirs. They said it was made to counter the watchmen, but they hardly even tested the blasted thing!” The young knight retorted.

  “Well, that may be the case, but we’ll have to inspect this area thoroughly, or else those guys will complain.”

  “Yeah… I get that. It’s odd for this fog to suddenly appear, but it’s spring! This happens all the time, even last night. Plus, it was only in the back of the caravan, so it isn’t a big deal.”

  “That’s true. We have what we need at the front. Whatever’s in the back is something the mages wanted to bring along.”

  “Those scholars always make a fuss over the most minor things!”

  The watchmen frowned once he heard this. From the bits and pieces of the conversation, it seemed like the artifact wasn’t where they expected, and they had lost the fifty-fifty. But if that was the case, then what the hell did Alex and Blaire steal? Before he could continue his line of thought, Tucker felt the ground violently tremble.

  A cascade of deafening eruptions shattered the stillness of the night. Ripping through the air as flames climbed to the sky. Every head snapped in the direction of the noise, all except for Tucker, who didn't need to see to know that it was Alex and Blaire. His heart hammered in his chest, but he forced himself to stay motionless. He needed to get ready to hop on the carriage, but how could he do that? The knights were drawn by the chaos and sprinted towards the forest's edge with their gazes locked onto the escort caravan.

  “Shit! There’s been an attack at the back of the caravan. I knew that spell was too good to be true!” The young knight cursed. “See what I said? Un-fucking-reliable.”

  “Hm…” The old knight watched as the carriage took a sharp turn in their direction. He then grinned and stared at the other four knights. “We’ll wait here. It seems like this is the way they came, so they should pass by this location again.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “Sir Quincy, you want us to ambush them?” The young knight frowned at the notion. “That’s a cowardly tactic.”

  “Not during war, and maybe during duels,” Quincy corrected, motioning for the other knights to get into position. “Alright Reynold, make sure you don’t reveal our positions. Don’t reveal your aura until I use mine. Do I make myself clear?”

  “…Yes Sir Quincy.”

  Tucker watched as the knights knelt behind the bushes with their swords flat on the ground. Concealed beneath drab cloaks, their silver armor and bright blue plumes were almost invisible, except for the occasional flash of metal when they moved. It was something completely different from the surcoats he had seen before. Something he wouldn’t have expected knights to wear.

  “They’re approaching. It seems like it was the right call to wait,” said Reynold.

  The rookie’s eyes widened once he heard this. Alex and Blaire were returning to get him, but he had already sent Gale over to warn them about the issue with the fog. So, he had no other way to alert them about the knights. He needed to think of a plan. One that would either foil their ambush and draw the knights away from them or completely eliminate them.

  But could he even take on that many knights? He could hardly even fight one, and Alex, who was far better than him, had barely managed to repel another. No matter how much he thought about it, he was courting death if he tried. Yet, even though he would normally be scared, his hands weren’t trembling. He didn’t feel the urge to run and instead thought about how to draw their attention.

  Could I be growing?

  Perhaps, but nonetheless, Tucker shoved the thought into the back of his head. He locked eyes with the companions, who seemed to give supportive stares. Tucker glared at the knights and hid his killing intent. They were completely focused on the carriage and even though it might be pointless. He resolved himself to fight.

  He slowly rose from where he laid and took a deep breath. The sound of hooves stomping against the dirt path reverberated through the area. Gradually drawing closer with each fleeting moment. Tucker could tell that the knights were completely occupied with Alex and Blaire, so he had enough time to slowly reposition himself. Once he was a few feet away and closer to the edge of the forest, he held out his hands.

  What he needed to do was create an attack that was invisible to the naked eye. One that would draw their attention and keep him hidden. He couldn’t afford to use his sword as a catalyst. The metallic scraping sound and potential gleam would only reveal his position. The only thing he could do was mimic what he had done before, except instead of having the wind fiercely manifest itself into a bow. He would concentrate every fiber of his body into strengthening the arrows at the last possible second.

  With the bare minimum essence needed to manifest his bow, Tucker extended his hand and drew the verdant string. His heart calmly pounded in his chest as he focused on the knights. They had yet to notice him, and the breeze he conjured lightly brushed against his face. He felt the spirit essence resonate with his desires. Fueling a flame he didn’t realize he had. A desire to protect his teammates who were coming to help him.

  Five arrows for five targets.

  That was all that was needed. Whether they hit their mark didn’t matter. He just needed to break their composure. Tucker channeled his spirit essence carefully through his body and slowly formed the five arrows. Before Tucker could release his volley, the old knight’s ear twitched. His body immediately sensed a danger that had somehow remained undetected. He snapped behind and unsheathed his sword in an instant. Fixating his gaze on Tucker, whose eyes widened in surprise.

  “Ambush!” The old knight’s voice erupted through the area as the other knights immediately rose.

  The knights rushed to draw their swords, but were a second too late. Tucker released the volley of arrows in an instant and leaped backwards, creating more distance between them as the arrows shot forth at an alarming speed. The old knight cursed and swung his blade, infusing it with a bright blue aura as the two forces collided. His arms quaked as he held his sword, the numbing sensation spreading through his body.

  He could see a layer of frost form on his blade and soon glanced at his comrades. Their screams echoed through the forest, and as he looked back at the carriage, he could see the two watchmen meet his gaze and divert from their location. The carriage left a cloud of dust behind, shaking from the rough paths it rode on. There was nothing he could do about them.

  The old knight stared at the squire, who had luckily received no injuries, and said, “Reynold, treat the others, then follow after me.”

  “You’re going alone? That’s far too risky!” Reynold raised his concerns, but the knight shook his head. The others were less fortunate and had suffered severe injuries.

  The old knight tore off his cloak, revealing his engraved armor and lion-crested tabard, along with a set of javelins hanging from a leather bag attached to his waist. He took a deep breath and adjusted his lion-shaped helm, letting the golden mane flow freely without bothering to listen to the squire’s pleas. The hardened knight hit the ground running. Whatever the watchmen stole didn’t matter to him. It was a problem for the mages of the Emerald Tower. He disapproved of their bullshit and was against their company from the start. Whenever they joined, the situation always took a turn for the worse, but more importantly, he still abided by the customs of old.

  It was disappointing to see the current state of the empire, but he couldn’t openly voice his opinions for fear of being labeled a traitor. All he could do was to serve his country with the last bit of loyalty in his heart, and what better way to do so than to hunt down a watchman?

  He steadied his breathing and shielded his entire body with aura before charging into the treeline Tucker had retreated to. His blade glistened beneath the moonlight, and the dull luster of his silver armor soon disappeared. Leaving only faint traces of aura in its path. It had been years since he last encountered one of their kind, but his memories of those experiences were still vivid.

  The watchman’s tracks were still fresh and judging by the attack from before; they were fairly skilled. But compared to the ones he faced when he was younger, this one paled in comparison. However, he knew better than to underestimate his opponent. After all, the game of cat and mouse had just begun.

  I'm still getting back into the groove of writing now that I have returned, and it's odd because I feel a bit rusty.

  I never thought I would get such a feeling from writing, to be honest, but alas, I'll have to keep going at it until it's gone.

  I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know if you see any mistakes!

  P.P.S. Every year, I tell myself I don't need a snowblower, and it seems like this year it would have been a good investment...alas, a problem for next year.