Chapter 14: Well, that took longer than I thought!

Chapter 14: Well, that took longer than I thought!

"Master, theyre gaining on us! Seras called out, as the auto-carriage shook once more.

The sturdily built machine had been designed for safe exploration through differing kinds of hostile environments and could even resist attacks from C-grade monsters and below. But even it couldnt handle the repeated punishment of relentless, directed spell casting from multiple mages.

Damn these maniacs! They wont stop until were all dead!

Just as that unhappy thought finished completing itself, another fireball came smashing into the auto-carriage, and this one was so powerful that it broke through their shield screen entirely. Smoke began filling the interior of the vehicle as it burst into flame.

Master! Seras cried in panic.

Calm yourself Seras, well soon be there, replied Julia Victus, Seras master, and a famed wandering Free Knight of the Eun Malum sisterhood. Her voice was calm to the point of sounding mellow, as though she were as disinterested as could be in their growing plight. As always, Seras felt amazed at her masters unshakable poise in a crisis. Does anything ever get to her? she wondered.

Seras was a wildly talented driver, and despite the fear coursing through her, her skills allowed her to confuse and outmaneuver their pursuers and gained them a brief respite from their assault.

Soon, a pathway leading to the entrance of a large country manor appeared on their screen. They were still some distance away, but Seras exalted at the sight of it! We did it! We did! Safety at last! She sang inwardly, before hailing the house to beseech entry.

Lange estate! Lange estate! My name is Seras Victus, I am apprenticed to the Eun Malum sisterhood! We have with us a priority passenger, but we are under dire assault! Please provide us sanctuary! Lange estate, I beseech you, please provide us sanctuary! Hello? Hello? Please answer!

Seras slammed her hands against the radio in frustration. Damn it! Master theyre not answering! Why wont they respond?

Giving into anger wont provide us with the answers we seek, Seras, Julia replied. Whatever the reason, its past time we disembarked.

Something screamed inside the carriage's motor, and this time its forward momentum ceased completely.

All right, Ill admit thats concerning, Julia chuckled to herself.

"You think?" replied Seras with much snark.

Julia turned to the side and tapped her knuckles against a slotted door behind her. When the slot opened, she addressed a small figure huddled fearfully in the back of the carriage.

Lady Nicollet. Well be making the rest of the journey on foot. Were but a short distance away.

A young teenaged girl with frizzled brown hair, no older than fifteen, looked towards her anxiously; Have you spoken with my aunt? Is Aunt Ardale there?

I dont know, my lady. Weve attempted to make contact but received no reply.

Try it again! Aunt Ardale must be there! She can easily deal with those people and then well be safe!

Ive no doubt that your aunt is a formidable warrior, Lady Nicollet, but we cant stay out here and await her rescue. Its less than ten minutes by foot to the main entryway. We have to leave now.

I cant! Please, Im afraid! the girl mewled.

Dont ever let fear prevent you from doing what must be done, Juliet told her. Seras and I will protect you with our lives. But there are two of us and many of them. Trying to defend this coach will leave us at a severe disadvantage.

I said I dont want to go! You have to listen to me, I said no!

Julia sighed inwardly. At this moment in time, Nicollet Langier was perhaps the most important person on the entire continent. Her survival could mean the prevention of a devastating war that would lead to the pointless deaths of thousands. Perhaps millions. Protecting her life was paramount and a cause worth dying for.

But by the pinnacle, she could be such an unruly, annoying little brat.

Seras, escort the lady to the manor gate. Ill stay behind to distract our pursuers.

Master? Seras asked, deep concern now etched into her youthful face. Juliet couldnt help but smile.

You know how much I disdain heroics, apprentice. Ill catch up to you after Ive led them on a merry chase. In the meanwhile, get Lady Nicollet to safety. You know the importance of this.

Seras gulped and nodded. Was she really eighteen now? Julia wondered. Had they been together for eleven whole years? Time was an incredible thing. Sometimes it seemed that everyone was burdened with too much of it. But then it seemed like there was never enough.

Seras, you are strong. If you believed in yourself a tenth as much as I did, youd be a veritable goddess of war. The girl will be safe with you. And I will return to your side. Believe in me.

YesYes, master! Shell be safe and Ill be waiting!

Good girl.

__

Woooo, look at that death flag fly!

Seriously, that lady couldnt be any more obvious a goner than if she had the words Doomed Parental Figure tattooed on her forehead in bright red ink! Remember Trask from KOTOR? I am totally picking up Trask vibes! She seems cool but she clearly has no awareness of tropes! Tropes are the Death Star of fantasy storytelling! Once they have you locked down, youre outta there!

Honestly, with an attitude as carefree as hers, Julia should go eat some Uncle Bens rice with her nephew Peter! She should also go plant crops on the Kent farm! On her way back home, she could even take a quick shortcut through crime alley! Whats the worst that could happen?

Oh, hey everyone, its me! Everyones favorite axe now freshly returned from his brief sojourn to the realms beyond reality! Big news! I have magic now!

I also made an awesome new friend who was kind of into me, although I also think she now wants to kill me, but thats not really my fault, I totally have to lay the blame for that on my previous incarnation whos sort of a complete dick to others for no reason!

Anyway, just checking in. I dont actually put in an appearance until later on, but I just couldnt resist a little commentary. See you soon!

__

Nooo, nooo! Nicollet sobbed as Seras pulled her forward down the estate path. I told her I didnt want to walk! That bitch, that stupid bitch, why didnt she listen to me!

My lady, Master Julia is risking her life to ensure we reach your aunts home. Please refrain from speaking of her in that manner, Seras said through gritted teeth.

I dont care! Shes going to be in so much trouble for this! Im a Langier! Im the Counts daughter! Shell be punished for this, I dont care how famous a knight she is, my daddy is the strongest man in the world

And yet, its your aunt youre turning to for protection, Seras noted.

Only because Daddy is too far away to be reached! If he knew what was happening, hed come thundering in and smite all those stupid, stupid people! You worthless Eun Malum included!

And yet, here we are, the only ones preventing you from suffering an ignoble ending at the end of their daggers. One would almost think a little gratitude would be called for.

Dont tell me how to feel, you up jumped commoner trash! You sound like some potato farmer from the western boonies! What kind of a knight are you supposed to be?

The kind that is sorely tempted to leave your stupid ass behind to die! is what Seras envisioned herself saying before slapping the bratty little toad into next week.

But Ill succeed where they failed! Are you ready to spend the rest of your life in blindness?

Julia please, just sit down!

Cant. Wont. Here I come!

SIT! I TOLD YOU TO SIT

Julia came at him, her dagger aimed directly for his eye, just as she said it would be. Before it could connect, Denards fist pushed through her chest, and destroyed her heart. She was dead instantly. Denard caught her body before it fell and held it sadly as her lifes blood poured away.

Damn it. Damn you for making me do that, he said sadly.

__

I didnt know axes could get headaches. Did you?

Gosh, when I woke up that night, I felt stiff! It was the complete opposite of restful sleep! It was more like arrested sleep, you know?

Where was I at, anyway? Gosh, it sure was dusty! All the furnishings had cloth coverings on them. As for me, I was hanging from a mantle, placed directly over a fireplace. What? Looking from side to side, I saw similar weapons being displayed on the wall. What in the name of the Frito Burrito was going on here?

Someone had claimed my unconscious axe body and made mea trophy!

Honestly, it felt pretty flattering.

I mean, gosh, its nice to be admired! I could imagine lots of posh, nicely dressed people sipping their fizzy, expensive drinks while discussing how great I am.

I do say, Duffy. This particular axe does in fact exude a tremendous amount of shall we say, ass-kicking splendor? Does it not completely rock to you?

Indeed, Prescott! Truly this weapon is beyond the beyond! The sort of magnificent axe we should be pleased to sacrifice a roasted beast to, in order to appease its appetite and avoid its wrath!

I agree, old boy! We should also offer it many temple prostitutes to slake its lust for the flesh of the beautiful!

Does that include men?

I think it would be genuinely flattered by the attention but Im picking up an aura that would indicate that it doesnt sleep with dudes.

Well, it might. I mean, its an axe. No gender, really.

Yes, but axes are very phallic weapons, wouldnt you agree?

Not as much as swords are! Swords are just steel dicks with pommels!

Hmm, its a very complicated situation, isnt it? You know, just to be safe and to avoid offending anyone, lets not have any prostitutes at all.

I think youre right. Thats a good, sensible decision.

Awwww!

Hey, Libby? Where am I?

Libby? Liiiiiibby? Libby, would you please answer?

Are you referring to me?

I am!

Why are you calling me Libby? Im your appraisal screen.

Aestas said your real name was Liberomnus.

Thats actually the name of the device that I am. It indicates my function, not my name

Yeah, well, Liberomnus just sounds unwieldy, doesnt it? Im going to call you Libby from now on! Do you like it?

Do I have a choice?

I feel uncomfortable dictating absolutes as an answer.

In that case, I suppose Im Libby from now on. Oh. Joy.

Great! Now, Libby, where am I?

It would appear that you are currently located at an estate belonging to one Ardale Lange.

Do we know that name? I want to say it sounds familiarbut I also want to say that Coke Zero tastes nothing like regular coke.

Yes, you should know that name. Ardale Lange was the half-elf woman we encountered shortly before you received your imbuement of Earth magic.

Oh, right! Wow, shes a half-elf? Half-elves are hot!

I suppose.

We must have been unconscious for a good long while, huh? If Lange could catch us and transport us all the way to her fancy house, we must have been out cold for days!

Oh. Yeah. Days.

Libby, why are you saying that in a way that makes it seem like I just said something dumb?

I didnt! You didnt! No, yourefiiiiiine.

How long were we out?

A little under eleven years.

WHAT?!