a meeting

Kobolds, a creature almost as common as the monster goblins. Alone an adult man could possibly take one out, but the reason why Kobolds and goblins were so feared was that they had the tendency to gather together in hordes.

Kei's hands shook as she looked out from outside her carriage, a small group of guards and mercenaries engaged a large group of kobolds armed with looted swords and amours from fallen guards.

She was sent on a trip to the city of twilight by her uncle, along with a merchant caravan, she had assumed that with the guards and merchants that they had with them, they would be safe from any attacks bandits, or monsters, but as she watched another guard fall to the floor cold and unmoving, her hands trembled.

Two arms stretched out from behind Kei and closed the curtains of the carriage.

"Miss Kei, you shouldn't be looking outside during this time, let the guards handle this"

Kei turned to her butler Hisoka and said with her hands trembling

"will they really take care of it?"

Hisoka smiled reassuringly. He looked old, around his 70s but he stood with elegance in his movements and body. He wore a smooth black suit and his grey beard and hair were neatly cut.

He held a single ceremonial sword in his left hand as he reached to the window too slowly and carefully peek out of the window.

"don't worry miss, even though we don't have many guards with us, they are the best of the best and will protect you"

Hisoka peeked out and was greeted with the sight of another guard falling to the ground under the multitude of attacks from the kobolds while the mercenaries started to flee in terror.

The remaining guards gathered around the carriage that he and Kei were in. The leader of the guards let out a yell of

"protect the miss!"

as the remaining 13 of them circled around it.

Hisoka looked at Kei, a sad smile appearing on his face.

Kei looked back at Hisoka with scared eyes. Her blue eyes shone with fear and her hair white with purple mixed in on the ends sat on her trembling shoulders. She had a red flower pinned in her hair and she was dressed in a purple dress that had dark blue accents. She had white stockings and small red lips.

Hisoka let out a sigh and reached out to pat Kei's head. She tried to push off his hand, She was already 15 she was too old for Hisoka to treat her like that.

Hisoka kneeled placing both of his hands on top of Kei's.

"listen Kei, in a few moments I will open the carriage door, and you need to run out, as fast as you can without looking back, no matter what happens alright?"

The sounds of fighting got louder and louder, Hisoka stood up the ceremonial sword in his hand. He looked back at Kei as walked to the carriage door.

"miss, your father entrusted you with me, I intend to uphold that command until I die"

Kei's eyes widened as she reached out with her smooth white hand.

"no! Hisoka!"

Hisoka looked at Kei one last time and smiled. He turned back around and pushed open the carriage door open quietly. He peeked out to see the guards still fighting the kobolds fiercely as they emerged from the forest howling out like rabid animals charing towards the humans.

Hisoka sneaked out with Kei behind her. The guards continued to battle bravely, but the kobold horde was just too large.

One of them, leaping over the corpse of another guard leaped towards the two running out of the carriage. It dropped all of its weapons and leaped towards Kei, its fangs shining and its mouth wide open as it pounced.

With a grunt, Hisoka's blade engaged the kobold, his entire body trembled as the kobold and butler were locked in combat. With the rest of the breath left in him, Hisoka let out a yell as he held the sword while the Kobold pressed its teeth closer to his chest.

"Miss Kei! Run, find safety!"

Kei paused for a moment

"but Hisoka"

"no!" Hisoka yelled out "run miss! ill see you soon"

Kei looked at Hisoka struggling and at her surroundings. The merchant's carriages were all ablaze with all of the mercenaries that used to guard them far away fleeing. The only ones who remained were the guards still fighting for Hisoka and her.

Tears trickled down her face and as she turned her face around ready to flee into the woods.

A loud thunk was heard behind her. She turned around to see a black arrow protruding from the neck of the kobold that Hisoka was fighting. The body of the kobold collapsed lifeless onto Hisoka's sword. He pushed it off with a loud grunt and looked around in confusion.

"What is this?" he muttered to himself in amazement.

Black arrows were flying from everywhere assailing the kobolds. They let out loud screams as arrows flew into their necks and heads leaving them on the floor pooling blood with each satisfying thunk of the arrow.

(arrow rain)

A young voice called out from the trees as a glowing grey arrow flew straight up into the sky.

"take cover!"

All of the guards raised their shields along with Hisoka who pushed Kei underneath some wreckage and took cover.

From the skies, the glowing grey arrow burst into a multitude of mana arrows shooting down at the horde of kobolds who didn't know what hit them until it was too late.

More than half of the horde fell to the floor impaled by the rain of arrows.

The kobolds were monsters but as they looked around to see more than half of their kind dead on the floor from an unknown enemy, they were sufficiently scared and turned back and ran into the forest.

A few moments passed with the mana arrows slowly fading away and the guards picking themselves up celebrating that they were still alive.

Hisoka raised himself up and helped Kei up to her feet. He walked to where the voice that yelled "take cover" had come from. He approached it cautiously with his hand still holding the sword. Though he knew that he would have probably died already if it weren't for the mysterious archer, he couldn't help but be cautious after all that had happened to them.

"sir archer" he yelled out "please show yourself"

the young voice that they had heard from before casually responded

"eh why not"

And saying that a figure dropped from the tree next to Hisoka. Hisoka backed up started but then took a good look at the before him.

A teenager with raven black hair and piercing brown eyes. He had a black bow in his hand and a quiver on his back. He wore roguish amour that was black and leathery, his body was covered with daggers and other various tools of rangers.

He let out a brilliant smile and gave a small wave.

"hi, I'm Arjuna"

Kei's mouth dropped as she looked at the hero who emerged from the trees. From the previously cold look to the kinder aura that he gave off when he smiled. Dang.

Arjuna looked around and surveyed the group, he let out a sigh of disappointment and sadness as he looked at the remains of the merchant carriages.

"dang" he muttered to himself "guess we didn't make it in time"

Hisoka patiently waited for Arjuna to finish evaluating the place before lowering his head.

"Mister Arjuna I presume, thank you for saving us on this terrible predicament, we offer you our most sincere thanks"

Arjuna let out a light laugh and replied

"no thanks are needed, but I must warn you, mister butler, you should get your little miss to safety."

Hisoka asked Arjuna confused

"why? were not the kobold's repled"

Arjuna took out three daggers that were hanging from his waist

"nope"

He said while swinging around and throwing the daggers. Each of them neatly flew into the throats of 3 kobolds that were sneakily approaching the two from behind in the thicket of the forest.

The kobolds fell to the forest floor, but another group of kobolds charged from behind them, with loud yells and howls knowing that their sneak attack was caught.

Arjuna switched to his bow and grabbed three arrows from his quiver.

(triple shot)

Three arrows flew into the group of kobolds killing three of them, but the kobolds simply ran over their bodies charging towards Arjuna.

Arjuna turned to Hisoka and shouted out loudly

"move!"

In the very back of the group of kobolds who had renewed their attack a large figure walked behind them, it was twice as big as any regular kobold.

As the guards readied themselves for another fight for their lives and Arjuna grabbed Kei and Hisoka back to the carriage.

Golden arrows covered in green wisps of mana flew into the ranks of the kobolds.

Arjuna let out a small smile as he watched the kobolds fall to the floor.

"took you a while" He called out

"uh-huh," A female voice responded crossly from the trees.