A New Game: Part Eight

The Goblin Leader flew away from him as if smacked away. It came as such a shock that he had left the sword lodged within Alex's shoulder. He hit the ground hard and rolled to his feet completely flabbergasted, "W-WHAT DO?" Alex smiled and unlodged the sword with a growl and pointed it towards the goblin, "Magic!" 

Actually, it was Rebound Defense. During his time in the forest, he discovered that some of the skills the Summons used he could learn for himself. It was an accidental find from playing with his Green Slime during a break. After a little bit of seeing the skill being used over and over, he had received a text that said he had learned the new ability.

He smiled as he held both his staff and his newly acquired sword in each hand. He felt quite powerful at the moment. The Leader let out a frustrated cry, "RUIN, RUIN PLAN. NO, NO, I GET YOU." He ran off into the woods, his frustrated crys following in his wake. Alex lowered the sword and staff as he heard the cries die out, a rather serious look on his face.

"Well, that takes care of that. I do wish I could have defeated him, he could have made a powerful ally." A chance would come again, especially if the Goblin lived up to the threat he just made. He felt a new wait at his hip and looking down he found a scabbard placed upon his hip by mysterious means. "Ah, that's right. It's a game." 

He sheathed his new weapon and propped himself up on his staff. The fatigue from the spells were beginning to hit him and a headache assaulted his brain. As he held his head Alex felt a hand around his arm that helped hold him up, "Sir, are you alright?" An elegant but firm female voice spoke up from inside the metal helmet. 

The voice caught him off guard, "Uh, yeah, yes." Although discomfortable he straightened up and examined the two knights. Their slim armor shined silver with the added effect of gold trimming to signify their prestige. The other Knight had long brown hair falling down behind her helmet which covered her face. 

He also noticed a golden crest of a bird stamped onto both of their right pauldrons possibly representing their lord. The long haired knight spoke up in a sarcastic tone, "And, what about that." She pointed a slender finger towards his shoulder. She must have thought he had forgotten about the wound the Goblin Leader left in him. 

He hadn't, the wound just didn't hurt nearly as bad as it looked like it should. He found that using too much mana affects your body in a number of different ways. At the moment his sense of feeling was numbed. This wasn't a bad thing, right now his wound only felt like a small cut. He was sure that it wouldn't last long, he already began feeling his mana returning to him and inturn, growing pain from the wound.

He shrugged, "I'll be fine. What about your people?" The first knight looked over to the carriages, "Many are wounded, and we have not brought any potions with us. We weren't expecting an attack on that level. Come." She waved to follow her and she took off towards the carriages.

"That was brave, doubly so being a mage. You know, you might have gotten killed fighting a Goblin Chief like you did." He smiled, "But I didn't, besides, it's pretty normal for me to walk into danger like that." She gave a half hearted laugh, "Unfortunate for you mabey, greatly fortunet for us. You saved many of my men from gruesome injury or even death. I thank you." 

She stopped and bowed her head in my direction. He looked at her confused, then the other knight joined in with her own slight bow. The other guards, seemingly understanding her sentiment, placed their hands on their chest. "He waved his hands embarrassed, "Oh- I- don't thank me. I was just trying to help, no need for such thanks." 

The first knight shook her head, "Thanks are in order. Your deeds were both just and brave, commendation should be given. He sighed and took a serious tone of voice, "Raise your heads, I am just a regular guy." The knights raised their heads and the soldiers all went back to tending to the wounded. 

The woman knight looked at him, "Thanks was in order." He frowned, this felt like a scripted first mission. He looked at the wounded soldiers. They were taking off armor and wrapping themselves in bandages. He wondered, 'Should he help them.' 

He shook his head, he didn't want his slime in any danger. The first carriage's door burst open startling him and the other soldiers. "The danger is gone, I will aid my men." A young boy, no older than 15 jumped down from the carriage and slammed the door. He wore fancy clothing and held a metal rod in his hand with gems encrusting the end. 

He scanned the road and then walked to the nearest wounded soldier. He then began to tend to his wound. He held the end of the rod over the wound on the guards arm, "My lord!" "Hush, let me heal this for you. The rest of you line up, I'll have everyone patched up before long." 

Alex stared at the rod. It was emitting a soothing green light that was healing the guard's wound. It took a minute for the wound to close but it did close. This was the first time witnessing magic outside his own abilities so he was fascinated. He would definitely need to learn the spell the boy was using. 

The first knight walked up to the boy, "My lord, the danger is-'' He lifted a hand, "Retract the order, I'm not following it." His attitude seemed like that of a doctor, despite his appearance he did seem rather intimidating. Telling from that and the Guards reaction to his orders, this must be the son of their lord. 

She shook her head, "I merely meant to inform you to keep an eye out. It is not totally safe here." He looked at her with a light smile, "Thanks, Maves." The female knight placed her hand on her chest. "Your welcome, my lord. Also," she turned to Alex, "we have this man to thank as well." 

Alex straightened up, he didn't know why but this kid had an intimidating aura to himself. It's like his presence alone demanded attention. His green eyes locked on him and Alex could tell the kid was sizing him up. His eyes began to flash blue for a second, he must have been using magic. He furrowed his brows and looked away causing the female knights to squirm, "My lord, are you alright?" 

They were eyeing him from the helmet like he had just said something wrong. The boy looked at him again but his eyes were no longer flashing. "... Are you a mage?" He didn't know why, but the question sounded less like a question and more like it was demanding an explanation. A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, "Yes?"

His green eyes seemed to change into daggers, poised at his throat. "Is that so… normally I can see the aura of other mages. So why is yours fluctuating so bad?" His words carried a great weight, like a judge in the middle of the courtroom. What could he tell him, he didn't have an answer. 

'I am from a world outside yours sent to this one like it's a game.' That would probably have him throne in a dungeon for madness. He had to come up with a good explanation, he said he couldn't read whatever this aura was. "I… I am testing a magic that hides my… Aura." The boy looked at him with his dagger like eyes as if he had just said the wrong thing. 

"Oh, you must be from the Academy." His eyes lightened up and Alex felt a pressure off his shoulders. "I had heard they were making some good progress on a mana concealing spell. I'm guessing you're still working out some of the flaws." He bought it, "Oh, uh, no. I'm just a freelancer who happened to be dragged in on the project." 

The lord still seemed to take that answer as well, "I had heard they were bringing in outside help." Alex nodded, now invested in building this lie to cover himself. The young lord moved to the next guard, "I see the monsters have not been kind to you. I'm guessing you got lost out here, huh?" 

He was probably referring to the tears and rips on his clothes, or the red stains that now covered his chest. Alex needed to get to the city to acquire some new clothes soon, wearing these rags actually kind of felt degrading. "Something like that, but I can handle myself well." 

The female knight nodded, "Indeed he can, he took on the goblin chief and distracted the goblins in order to allow us to get the upper hand. He saved a few lives here today, sir." The young lord looked at her and then at him, it seems her words carry great weight with him. "Well, I offer my truest thanks. As for a reward, for now we have nothing on us to give. But, we can offer you something if you meet at our estate in the city."

Alex didn't like the idea of becoming too close to a Lord, but he couldn't help but think of the connections he would earn by creating a good relationship with him. "I require only your thanks." The lord looked at him and laughed, "I do not know if that is how you generally feel or you're just flattering yourself. Whichever, could I at least offer you a ride back to the city?" 

Alex looked at him, "I couldn't ask for more." He nodded, "Well, when I'm done healing my men we will be off." He turned back to the wounded who now drew all his attention. The first knight looked at him, "My name is Maves Brightborn, loyal servant to Lord Serenes. You may ride in the same carriage as me." 

If he were a dumb teenage boy he may have written that off as a flirt, but he sensed a slight threatening tone in her voice. He smiled, "I think that would be best." He crossed his arms and a pained yelp escaped his lips. He covered his mouth with his good hand, it seems the dappening affect had worn off completely. 

He looked around, many eyes were pinned on him. The sarcastic knight with long hair cleared her throat, "Shouldn't you heal yourself before that gets worse." He lifted his wrist and walked back to the forest, "I need to go and gather my things before we leave." He had already begun equipping his Slime to heal his wound away from prying eyes.