Chapter 153 - 153 In the palm of her hand

153 In the palm of her hand

“Anne! Oh my God!” Vale was shouting when he saw our purple hair color healer unconscious in Henry’s arms.

“What happened?!” Justice looks into Henry, trying to get some explanation from his distraught friend.

Henry was so flustered, he looks at Justice and shakes his head, “I… I don’t know. She just suddenly falls to the ground.”

Looking at how panicked his two friends were, Justice took the matter into his hand. He carried Anne to his horse and asked Vale to help him put Anne into his horse. Carefully, her head rested on Justice’s broad chest. Still unconscious, he checked her temperature.

“She doesn’t have a fever. Is that a good thing?” Asked Justice to Vale.

“I don’t know, but it is better for us to go back as soon as possible. Let me ride in front of you.” Vale said to Justice, and then he turned his attention to Henry, “What are you doing?! Get onto your horse, and don’t forget to tie Anne’s horse with you.”

“Vale, he was in shocked, let him be.” Scolded Justice to his friend.

Vale shouted at Justice, clearly feeling annoyed by Henry. “Well, all of us are! But we need to act fast!”

With a sigh, Justice whispered to Anne, “I guess they are still going to be an enemy for a while.”

.....

Ten minutes later, they are on their way to go back into the encampment, Vale using his spell to cast two light spheres circling around him. It was so much easier to ride through the woods with the light, although Justice was struggling for a bit. Having to hold on to Anne and go as fast as he can riding his horse. He doesn’t want to lose her, even though two years ago he resented her so badly. Not because of the lost feeling, but the lies that she told all of them. He was disappointed because Anne never trusted the four of them.

Justice thought that they had something special, even though half of the feeling came from the bewitched spell, but half of it he knows as the truth. He was genuinely smitten by her, the way she smiled or frowned whenever something interesting happened in front of her. Justice may not be obsessively in love with her, but he was in love with her. He tightens the hold that he has on Anne, trying to feel the warmth that comes from her body.

“Justice, do you want me to switch places with you?” Henry called for him. He was riding on behind, with Anne’s horse following his horse.

Justice immediately tells him, “No, just followed us. The sooner we got back, the better for Anne.”

“How… How is she?” Asked Henry once again.

“She is fine… For now, so don’t worry.” Said Justice, trying to calm him down.

“Justice! Silver Hawk told me the area in front of us will be changing into a dark and mischievous road.” Vale told him, trying to warn the crown prince.

“What should we do now? It could delay us!” Justice shouted his frustration, but then Henry galloped faster.

“I’ll stay and fend them. You two just keep riding!” Said, Henry.

Although Vale was surprised by Henry’s offer, he slightly turned his head to His friend. “Are you crazy? Fighting a dark and mischievous road monster alone?!”

“I’ll be fine!” Henry said to Vale. Besides, we don’t know what happened to Anne. You need to go back as soon as possible!”

Vale cast a full protection spell on Henry and told him to be safe. Henry just grunted at him. Justice gave the two of them a smirk. For the time being, having them talk to each other is enough.

“Careful, alright?” Said Justice to Henry.

Henry grumbled, but still nodded his head to his friend, “Just shut up, I will be fine!”

“Well, would you?!” Shouted Vale in the front. Justice and Henry could sense he was so amused by Henry’s words.

“Well, for two years, I was learning from the best!” Henry replied to Vale, while the three of them galloped through the road that was getting darker.

The dark and mischievous road is a phenomenon that came almost twelve years ago. They never knew what triggered the appearance, but the road always appears randomly everywhere, sometimes at the same place, sometimes on another new and unbeknown road. One of the main duties of the huntsman in the Valorian kingdom is to eradicate every monster inside the dark and mischievous road.

Henry paces himself and when they go inside the dark and mischievous road, Henry stops the horses, calls for his bow and saw Justice and Vale riding away from this dangerous road. He activates the skill that only a high-level knight could obtain, the skill that he was honing under the strict supervision of his grandfather.

Knight sense, where the knight could hype every sense that they have, just like the magi when they activate their magica, the knight would also have glowing eyes when the knight sense is activating. His glowing icy blue eyes sense a medium size monster on the corner, trying to ambush his friends. He prepared his bow and launched it straight into the monster that was almost grabbed onto Vale’s shoulder.

The cry of the monster made Henry get more excited than before. It was a Gardoran, a bird monster that has a large beak and golden-like feathers with three red eyes on its face. Henry shouted at his friend, telling them to go away as soon as possible.

“Go! I can handle this!”

Vale and Justice were finally gone from view. The Gardoran tried to fly, but Henry’s arrow pierced into one of its wings. With a wicked smile on his face, Henry called for his great sword. He was ready to tear the Gardoran until another screech came from his behind. He turn his head around to see another Gardoran flying into him with his large claws pointed into Henry’s body.

After two hours of the non-stop journey, Vale and Justice finally arrived at the encampment. Brom and Hector were already waiting anxiously at the east gate. They saw the unconscious Anne still in the crown prince holding.

“What happened to Anne, your majesty?!” Asked Hector to Justice.

“We don’t know. She just fell unconscious so suddenly.” Replied Justice to the Alchemist. He carefully carried her inside the encampment, even though his body was already exhausted. “Let’s go to the healers for now!”

Nathan check on her while asking Justice a set of question, “Does she ever awaken on your hold?”

“No, she mumbled something incoherently, but never fully conscious.”

Nodding his head, Nathan continued his observation, “I see she has a slight fever, but not in… Wait, what is this?”

He opens the palm of Anne’s right hand, and what they saw makes everyone stunned on their feet.