-15-

I sparked my magic.

Amalia carefully opened the carriage door, feeling it, and I looked back at her with a nod before stopping us.

"Highness please head to the carriage."

"What is it mage?"

"Uncertain, but I do not want to risk you life." I got off Arial while Amalia remained on alert as I helped the princess off and guided her to the carriage with the man that was driving the carriage. "Do not let anyone inside." I told Amalia as she closed the door with both of the people outside getting in and got on the top of the carriage, covering the fragile windows with solid stone.

"What is it mage Mystery?" A guard asked.

"I sensed something." And I heard a whoosh before seeing the man that I was talking to fall over, crossbow bolt through his neck.

I whipped around, eyes scanning the surroundings as two guards tried to help their injured comrade but I knew he'd die.

I hissed softly to myself, cursing my stubbornness to not let Amalia try to ride Arial, I wasn't at the top of my form or that guard might have lived.

"Bandits!" A guard yelled as at least ten dropped out of the trees.

I pulled out my dagger.

"Kill every last one of them!" I yelled at the guard.

I turned to the closest one, the blade of his sword sparking as it collided with the edge of my dagger before hitting him in the stomach with my palm, flames bursting from my hand when I made contact.

I saw a stone pellet fly through the air and smash into the head of a man.

And then something hit me.

A pinkish haze washed over my vision, when I moved my head it was like my subconscious was trailing behind, not moving at the same time.

I shook my head as I fell over to get away from sword.

There is a magic user in their group.

"Kill them all and grab the riches!" I heard one of them yell.

I glared at the ground, magic racing up the connection and I saw one of them burst into flames, having set the wild magic in him ablaze.

My vision cleared up instantly.

"Are you alright?!" Amalia yelled, pebbles orbiting her hands and shooting them out like arrows from a bow.

"Yes I am!"

I took a deep breath, throwing my legs up in the air to hit a man in the chest and pushed off him, flipping over to my feet, ducking a strike from another and plunging the dagger into his chest.

I heard Amalia fall off the carriage and shoved over to her, she wasn't badly hurt but her head was bleeding and her eyes pink, fuck there is another wild mage!

"Snap out of it!" I yelled but I couldn't help her, I shoved her under the carriage as I stood, head hitting the chin of a woman this time before snapping out my leg and making her fall over from the impact, a jet of flame taking care of her.

I saw a few of them stop fighting because they were leading the dead guards' horses away and trying to force the carriage door open.

"I am done with this shit!!" I yelled, arms flecking at my side before the pain came.

I fell over, suddenly forgetting how to breath.

I looked over at my left in surprise, a cross bow bolt sticking through my upper arm and pining it to my side, it was like a small ten-inch bolt with around seven of it sticking into me, with a tap on it I could use magic to map out its shape and it was a very special one indeed, the tip of it was made to open so the one shot couldn't pull it out without causing way more damage to themselves.

"Fuck!" I spat, blood dropping from my mouth as there is no question if it hit a lung or not because it clearly hit. "Gods damn this world." I whispered.

I got to my knees scaring one of the men that thought I died, making all of them focus on me.

"Perish you rotten bastards!!" I yelled, eyes blazing with pain and anger at the sight of the corpses and the knowledge that the next would be Amalia and all the three hiding in the carriage.

Soon enough the man all started to cough and chock, hacking up water, lungs filled with it, drowning on dry land. All. Of. Them.

At least thirty if not more died to this before I stopped the magic as they were all dead.

I stood up, holding my upper arm, bolt sticking out between my fingers.

I looked around and let my magic touch those of the horses with the dead masters, telling them to head home as they would be cumbersome to guide them all the way to the elves.

"Can you move?" I asked the guard I saw blinking and he nodded despite the huge gash on his leg. "I can help with that but you must help me after."

"Right... I am ready for it."

"Good because it will hurt." I used my right hand to hold both edges of the wound closed and blasted it with high heat fire for a second, burning the skin together.

He let out a sob-ish scream, hitting his head to the ground.

I felt so angry, if I was at 100%, all would have lived and if I had not given that bead away maybe I wouldn't have been hit by the bolt, each breath hurt as the prong of the bolt dug into my flesh.

"Come on man wrap it up and help me!" I yelled at him, yanking him to sit up.

He shakily wrapped up his burnt leg in the torn strips of clothes from our attackers, at least he wasn't bleeding out.

I went to my dagger and put it away and coughed, wiping the blood from my mouth.

"Help me get mage Amalia out from under the carriage and wrap her head!" I grabbed her leg and he came to join me to help dragging her out and wrap her head up to stop the bleeding.

"Mage Mystery that bolt should be removed."

"Under no circumstance! It's a pronged bolt only the healers can remove it without killing me and don't think of breaking off the end to free my arm, the feathers on the end are the only things keeping the bolt from digging deeper, just help me wrap my arm in a sling so it doesn't move around, now!"

I was shaking with coughs, doubling over and hacking up blood.

"M-mage Mystery!"

"Hurry the fuck up!!"

"R-right."

Soon my arm was wrapped, tightly secured to my body.

"Get your horse man, we are leaving now."

I opened the carriage as the stone crumpled away from the windows because of my magic.

"Threat eliminated." I said. "Coachman get back in front to guide the horses, we need to move."

"Mage are you alright?"

"As good as I can be Highness, only I and a guard remain, Amalia out for head injury, they used wild magic to mask themselves from us and to disable us while they took care of the guards." I breathed before coughing into my hand. "We need to move now; I will not stop the carriage until we arrive as the risk is too great with so little people remaining to protect you."

"If that seems the safest do it mage Mystery." The queen said and I nodded.

"Could we please have Amalia resting inside, I fear for her head injury, might be far greater than we can tell, she wouldn't make it on horseback."

"Yes and will you?" The princess asked with worry laced in her voice.

"I must, I cannot leave you without protection, the guard cannot properly stand so I am the only and last line for defense, I MUST make it." I said while he weakly helped Amalia onto the free siting area of the carriage.

"Be careful."

"As much as I can be Highness." And I closed the door. "Guard get saddled and ride next to the carriage, I want you to be dead before any enemies come close to open that door and if you aren't dead you stand to protect it! We won't be stopping until we arrived got it?!"

"Yes mage Mystery!"

I went to Arial and sighed before pulling myself up with one arm despite the pain, the effort making me cough again, blood dripping down my chin and neck, wetting the col of my undershirt.

the wound on my arm not bleeding a lot as the bolt itself compressed it from inside and kept the bleeding to a minimum but I could tell my side was covered in red, each little movement still allowed by the sling holding my arm shifted the bolt around, it passed right through my ribs too and the prongs.... We better hurry.

I grabbed the reins in one hand.

"As fast as you can with the horses coachman!" I yelled to him before snapping the reins to make Arial walk.

If I had had my luck charm maybe it would have hit a rib and stopped or just graze my skin.... at least if the princess were to be attacked it would help her... I can always make a new one at home.