(8) Falling Action

Adam led the horse in silence. Elodie watched their change in surroundings quietly, wondering where they were. The kingdom seemed to have changed a lot in seven years.

"How did you get here so fast?" Elodie spoke up first.

"News traveled quickly," Adam stated it simply. "Why were you going to kill him? Why must you cause problems for the royal family?"

Elodie snorted in response to Adam's words. She relaxed against him as the horse trotted steadily. "Cause them problems? Are the roles not reversed?"

"Huh?"

Elodie stared off into the distance of the forest that they rode through. Only the shallow dirt path was there to guide them.

Adam could make out a conflicted expression on her face. "What is it?" He finally asked, finding the silence uncomfortable.

"They took away everything I value in life. They couldn't take my life, so they stripped me of my identity and isolated me for seven years." Elodie faced Adam, a discrete bitter smile on her lips. "Have I not suffered as well?"

Adam became conflicted. Even then... How could he trust someone he'd just met? As his thoughts became more and more confusing, a loud scream interrupted their conversation from not too far away.

"What was that?" Adam glanced around, stopping the horse. Across a flurry of trees, more voices were heard. Shouting and yelling—the sounds of fighting. "Wait here, I'll go,"

"No. Bring me along. I'd like to see what is happening as well." Elodie cut him off. Adam looked at Elodie skeptically. A grin pulled at her scarlet lips, erasing any sign of her previous expression. "Are you worried that I'll get hurt?" She questioned coyly. Adam got off the horse before helping her down. "I could trip right now, you know. Would you catch me if I fell?"

He didn't react to her flirtatious banter. "Don't joke around, hurry up."

Elodie suddenly slipped from the horse's back, her leg missing the foothold entirely. Her eyes widened in surprise. Adam grabbed her waist, preventing her from slipping any further. She quickly grabbed his shoulders. 

They both met each other's eyes with a look of shock, standing still for many seconds before speaking.

"That... wasn't on purpose, you know." Elodie quickly stated while looking at him. She didn't know why it was that she tripped. Even without her powers, her reflexes should have been enough to catch herself. But if that was the case, what just happened?

She stared at Adam without any doubt, blinking steadily. 'My body must already be growing comfortable around him. I'm too relaxed right now.' She thought inwardly.

Adam was lost staring back at her, quickly realizing how ethereal the woman currently standing in front of him was. He felt like he was forgetting something important about her. As if something was amiss in his brain. The squeezing feeling in his head came back from the night prior.

Just as he was about to ask her,

"Ahhh!!!" There was another loud scream.

Snapped from his trance, Adam quickly pulled his sword out, standing in front of Elodie. "Follow me and be quiet. Let's go find out what's going on first."

There was no response, but Adam started walking towards the trees.

The clash of swords was soon taking place right in front of his eyes.

A man in black jumped into the air, flying back down with a yell. He was swatted away with the sword of the man in light blue. Against the other men in black, the man in light blue fought them off.

In the corner was a woman with a child, hugging the kid as she watched the fight in horror.

Adam was at a loss for words. Why were the bandits attacking such a humble family? He had never seen anything like it in the Solaria kingdom. Were all the guards sent to try and catch Elodie?

"That doesn't make sense. A troop of patrol soldiers should've intervened by now." Adam thought to himself, wary of the situation before him. Although it was a secluded part of the forest, they were still rather close to the palace itself.

Elodie, however, only scowled at the sight. "Things are worse further out, away from the palace. Many bandits tried to rob me, you know. I nearly died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Adam said, but he didn't glance at the woman beside him for several reasons. One, he hoped to interfere in the attack against the innocent family before they were gravely hurt. Second, he found it hard to believe Elodie—Elodie the Evil Witch—nearly died at the hands of any bandits.

Another man in black began yelling. "You pros*itute palace maid!! You shall die by my hands today!!"

They flew at the woman with a sword, she screamed, hiding her child in her arms.

"Miss! Look out!" Adam jumped into the fight, slashing the bandit away, who fell to the ground with a groan.

"Who the h*ll are you?!? It doesn't matter—you will all die today!!" More bandits seemed to appear from thin air, all running towards Adam.

Before they could get even a meter away from him, there was a flicker of green.

A woman in a green dress appeared in front of Adam. She held a cold glare at each of the disguised bandits.

"Impudent. Who do you think you are to lay a hand on him?" Elodie's expression was one of disgust.

She waved her arm once more. It was like the trees leaped forward and their vines wrapped around all the bandits, jerking them back into the trunk of a tree.

"Argh!!" They all groaned, some spitting up blood and others fainting from the impact.

The bandit fighting the man in light blue was grabbed by the vines, his arms suspended into the air. "What-!?!"

His sword fell to the ground, where he could only squirm uncomfortably as Elodie walked closer. The man in light blue was panting, staring at her in amazement.

"Thank you for your assistance, Miss. How did you,"

"Question me later, young traveler." Elodie cut him off. She glanced up at the bandit, who was now tied. "You. Who are you? Why did you come here?"

"T-There here for me, Miss!"

The woman ran toward Elodie, falling to the floor with the young child in her hands. The boy in her arms was hiding his face, sobbing extensively.

"And who are you?"

"I-" the girl's lip quivered. She quickly ducked her head.

"Far too embarrassed to speak?" A perfect brow quirked up, and Elodie laughed. "My, you must be quite the person!"

"That isn't the case!" The woman quickly looked up. "Who this regards... it's—it's not something I could easily reveal!"

Elodie squinted, smiling lightly. "Is that so?"

The lady bowed again, crying. "Miss, you have already done enough, and for that, I thank you, but..."

Elodie raised her hand, stopping the girl. "Alright then, you don't have to say anything."

The woman sighed, relieved. "Thank you, Miss-"

"But he will." Elodie interrupted, drawing the sword from Adam's sheath and placing it by the suspended man's throat.

The bandit quickly stopped moving.

"I'm giving you ten seconds before you and your friends become a nice meal for the wild animals residing in this forest. Start talking, or else." Elodie moved the blade closer.

The woman gasped loudly, raising her hand towards Elodie to object. "M-Miss!"

The man in light blue also came closer, a conflicted expression on his face. "Wait, we shouldn't kill him."

Adam was the only one who stood silent, watching Elodie's actions calmly.

"Despite what he's done to this woman and her child?" A scoff left Elodie's lips. She pushed the sword closer. "Death seems like a reasonable punishment. Don't you agree, Adam?"

Adam only sighed, forced to intervene. "Slow down. We don't have to."

"Ha. Like any of you dare stop me. Why bother asking?" Raising the sword, Elodie brought it down.

Before it could slice into the bandit in black, he yelled. "She is Prince James' mistress!! She must be killed before rumors spread!!"

A knowing smile appeared on Elodie's lips, a twinkle in her eyes as she skillfully spun around and re-sheathed Adam's sword. "Ah, the Prince of Love has done it again, hasn't he?"

She turned back to the woman, snapping her fingers. In an instant, the vines and trees returned to their natural positions. The men were dropped to the ground several feet below them, letting out groans.

The man in light blue was ready to pull out his sword. Elodie stopped him. "They dare not try again, young traveler. You mustn't worry."

"They will willingly leave? After what they've revealed?" He questioned. Elodie scoffed again.

"They have no choice." Her back was turned to the man in black, who sat up from the floor.

"If we go back without completing our task, we will be killed!" The man in black shouted, gritting his teeth in annoyance. Elodie turned back around to face the man. The air around them grew chilly, and the forest became silent; not even the scurrying of wood mice could be heard.

"Such a fate is far better than the one I had in mind for you." She said it with a bewitching twinkle in her eye. Despite the woman and man in light blue standing by her side, they still felt at risk of angering her. A dangerous aura filled the air, even though she was smiling. "But you can pick. Which one?"

The man on the ground was suddenly glad to be leaving. Even if he died at the hands of the prince, it would be a far better fate than the woman in front of him!

After recovering, the bandits quickly stood and hobbled out of the forest. Those who were unconscious were carried. Soon, they all fled in defeat.

The sound of hooves slamming to the ground could be heard fading in the distance.

The forest had quickly returned to its natural silence.