Chapter 3 Overcast Skies

Scores of trees and the sounds of the forest enamored me. Now that I was walking through the forests outside of the town of Lumber, I realized that it had been so long since I'd gone outside the town.

The rain continued to pour, creating puddles of mud. I had always been annoyed at getting my clothes soiled in any manner. My boots grew muddier with every step, but at this moment, nothing annoyed me more than Esfir's constant whining about the "dirty" terrain that we had to traverse and all the icky insects that showed up because it was raining.

Aside from that, she kept moaning that if we had horses or a carriage, we wouldn't have to suffer through this exhaustion and heavy downpour.

Esfir had been complaining incessantly for a half hour and she was running out of complaints, so she decided to complain about the fact that I rarely talked. If I didn't need my ears to survive and make a living, I would've torn them off by now.

Another five minutes later, we finally reached an open area. The rows of seemingly endless trees were now behind us.

The vast overcast sky appeared before our eyes. In the distance, I could see rays of sunshine peering through the clouds. And for a singular moment, all the darkness, all the sadness that I felt had disappeared.

I had never seen clear skies in days, and it might be a few more before I could see another one. But, one thing was certain. Someday soon, I'd see a brighter, more open world than I had longed for.

The vast open space was a breath of fresh air. A sea of grass lay before us, swaying and dancing to the rhythm of the wind.

We traversed the open field and reached the middle of the field about fifteen minutes later. It wasn't until then that I noticed we were being followed.

It was difficult to hear other people's footsteps, given that it was still raining and Esfir was constantly telling me about how her old retainer would find a horse for them to use or any vehicle left available before traveling.

All of a sudden, I heard the whistling of an arrow shooting across the wind. The god of luck was on my side today, as I'd noticed the arrow's sound before it could reach my head.

"Get down!" I shouted to Esfir.

Esfir stopped in her tracks, ducked, and looked around in search of enemies. "Are there bandits?"

"No. They move too quietly for mere bandits," I said. "Must be assassins. Stay close to me and stay low. I can't see anything through all this grass and shrubberies."

We ran across the field, for our lives depended on it. We were still a good few meters away from the other side of the field. If we could reach the forest before our enemies caught up with us, we might be able to keep our heads intact.

Not willing to waste another second, I carried Esfir and dashed across the field. It was easier for me to carry her than to drag her around, worrying about her getting hit at any given moment.

The sound of hurried footsteps was drawing closer, so I picked up the pace. "I think it's time for a little bit of sorcery, isn't it?" I told Esfir.

"Sorcery?" she asked tentatively, looking at me in bewilderment. "You're... a spell knight?"

"Zephyr, God of the wind, grant my feet the blessings of the tempest," I muttered under my breath.

Gusts of wind shortly gathered around me like a tiny vortex. The wisps of wind traveled from my shoulders down to my legs. As they seeped into my skin, I felt my legs feel lighter and my breath felt colder.

"Hang tight, little lady," I said to Esfir.

"Huh-eek!" Esfir didn't even get a chance to ask a question, and we had already dashed into the forest.

Thanks to the spell I cast, I was able to double my running speed. It was merely a simple spell that I learned back in my days of training in the academy. Pretty soon, we were able to lose our pursuers. I was fairly sure that none of them could've expected that a deadbeat-looking knight like me would be able to cast spells.

Once I was certain that we were a good distance away from our would-be assassins, I put Esfir down. She was still looking at me in awe. And perhaps, a new light, too.

I didn't notice it at firsts, but we were able to reach a clearing. A faint ray of light broke through the canopies as a bird perched on a tree's branch. There was a large boulder protruding from the ground in a diagonal fashion, casting a shadow underneath.

"We could rest there," said Esfir, already making her way to the boulder.

I wanted to argue that the assassins could still be following us, but my legs needed the moment of respite, so I followed her. It was best to save my strength for when I really needed it.

She was already seated on a tree stump by the time I got to the boulder. I sat near her but made sure to keep a respectable distance between us.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" asked Esfir.

"Do what?" I asked back.

"Don't be coy with me. That spell you used!" Esfir sprang to her feet and held her left hand forward. Seconds later, a ball of flame had formed before her palm. It was circling in place and emitting a semblance of light.

I was surprised at how she managed to cast a spell without using a chant. I had heard about such talented people back at the academy from my professors, and they said that only one in a generation could be so lucky.

"I studied," I answered. "I used to be a student at Arcana academy. The prime military academy of the kingdom of Lumiere."

Just then, I saw the look of vigilance in Esfir's eyes. She kept her distance from me and readied the ball of fire.

"Relax, little lady. I'm not going to hurt you. I don't work for the crown anymore."

"How can I be sure of that?" replied Esfir, still locking the spell at me.

I stood up and approached her face to face. I looked her in the eye and took out the necklace she used as payment. "I want to meet the person who gave you this. Without you, I'll never meet her."

Esfir put her hands down, but her eyes remained vigilant. I could tell that she was still wary of me. "Like it or not, I'm your only chance of getting back home. Even if we're just using each other for our own agenda, it's better to have a degree of trust between us. Trust me, I have no interest or desire to turn you in to Lumiere. They'd probably put my head on a spike if I get anywhere near the castle gates."

Finally, Esfir eased up. "Why would they?" she asked.

"A story for another time, little lady," I answered. "We've got a long walk ahead of us. Best we head out."

Esfir nodded in response as she began to walk on. "I have a name. And I'll be of age in a few days, so stop calling me 'little lady'!"

Her remark somehow made me chuckle. To me, young ones like her who thought they were adults already were always amusing.

"Whatever you say, my lady," I replied sarcastically.