As Cy and I ate our food, a feeling of accomplishment crashed onto me in a wave. Of all the things my Father could've done to me, he just banished me. To know that he could send me out here, expecting me to die while I'm actually thriving in this forest would anger him so much. The thought of his rage sent both fear and excitement through me.
My magic began tingling at that moment. Something was approaching us, and its intent is known.
I grabbed Cy's arm and began using my magic to fuel his own, something he didn't know I could do. After that, he noticed it too, and I released his arm. I pointed up towards the treetops and Cy nodded, understanding what I was signaling. We both dashed towards a tree and began climbing. While he was doing it traditionally since he was trained to be my personal guard, I was using a very slight amount of magic to get me up the tree.
Once we both reached a decent branch, the two of us had crouched down and started to scan the area. Looking in every direction, I see that we are surrounded on all sides and I sense Cy start to panic and head into fight mode. I reach over with my right hand and firmly grasp his wrist using my own magic to conceal his aura.
"These soldiers are unfamiliar to me. I can't identify a single one of them, nor their emblem. I don't know how we are going to handle the situation in front of us and that's not something I am used to saying." Cy, spoke feeling the drumming of his fear deep inside my heart startled me. It was a feeling that was definitely unknown to me, even though I had heard his heartbeat many times in the past, this was a new feeling and it enthralled me. Standing up and releasing his wrist, I fell down from the tree shooting my aura out in a spiral all around me and into the soldiers. While the effect didn't last long, I could feel who they were as individual people and see their memories in one instant. I used that to my advantage as I read where they were from and who they worked for. "Cy! These are definitely not my Father's soldiers!" I cried out, as one threw a spear in my direction, which should have pierced my heart if it weren't for the shift in direction caused by Cy's sudden outburst of magic.
Another soldier attempted to approach me from the back, and I swung my leg around and hit him square in the gut. Using my right hand, I produce a sword out of thin air, the steel as cold as the snow in the South Mountains of Esrala. With the sound of slicing of the energy in the air, Cy also produces two swords, which are light blue in color. In a brief moment, I am distracted the soldier that had come at me previously has gotten back up on his feet, catching me in a position that is all but one I remember. I fling my head backward, the back hitting him right in his nose causing him to cry out in pain. Taking the opportunity of the noise that the soldiers focused on, Cry rushes forward using his training to take on as many of them as he can all at once. Elbowing the one behind me with my left arm, I duck out of his grasp and swing with my sword which barely pierces his armor. Another one rushes me from the right and two from the left, sending my aura onto alert at the sense of danger. I summon a shield of magic and use it to propel the two on my left upward while I stab to the right my sword going through the soldier. Pulling it out, I roll on the ground, as my magic causes vines to grow out of the ground catching the two I sent into the air before they hit the ground which causes them to panic as the vines wrap around them. The one that was in front of me is now back on his feet, and making a futile attempt at freeing the two I had wrapped in the vines, as I throw my sword flying right through his head.
Even with the numbers dwindled, more soldiers began appearing from the remaining forest area, and some were even falling down from the treetops. "Eb, we're surrounded!" Cy shouts, still fighting although he lost a sword that was sent flying in my direction. I pull it out of the deep and crumbly dirt throwing it back to him as he slices in a spin move while he catches it. "I know nimrod, I'm working on it!" I shout back, as I force my aura outwards once again, causing me to feel light-headed and woozy as I speak into the hearts of the remaining soldiers. Once they have all calmed, I speak out loud "Why are you fighting me? My enemy is also my Father! Killing me won't solve anything. Do not fear me, for I will not hurt you unless I am provoked into doing so."
One by one they all dropped their weapons and took off their helmets for those who were wearing them. As their faces had been shown to me, I realized all of them had the same scar under their eye as both myself and Cy. I took of the magic that had been hiding the mark and around half the soldiers gasped or cried as they realized we were on the same team. "Which of you can tell me why we all have this scar under our eyes?" I asked, and none of them could answer. "Milady, we do not have an answer, but I may know someone who does. I apologize for fighting one of our own, and for those, we have both lost in this battle. There is one who lives deep in this forest, who has been here for ages unknown to us men. It is possible that he may know where or rather who gave us these marks for most of us have had them since birth." A younger-looking man came forward, it seemed he was the commander of their troop.
I look briefly at Cy, who nods back at me. "Well, seeing as my partner and I are in agreement, we will go with you into the forest and meet this man. If he has the answers we seek, then we must ask while there is still time." I say, pick up my sword, and returning the leftover magic back into my body, and releasing the vines for the other soldiers. Cy retrieves his dual swords and returns that magic as well, part of it flowing into my aura for safekeeping.
I look towards the commander, and we all march forward into the forest, as night settles in and the stars guide us deeper into the beginning of our newfound alliance.