Chapter 64 - Misunderstandings

Knowing the mass of movement is going to beat me to the cart, the only thing I can do is funnel more mana into Jetstream, and hope that I can squeeze a bit more speed into my flight.

It works, yet at the cost of another deafening explosion, forcing me to cycle healing mana throughout my body to shake off the after-effects.

After a few minutes of high-intensity flying, I use a force of wind mana to come to a screeching halt, dropping into the treeline below.

The scene at the cart is one straight out of a nightmare. Hooded figures surrounded the cart on all sides, whilst three non-hooded figures had broken from the encirclement, and appeared to be, talking?

The three figures seem to be having a discussion with a very nervous-looking Teresa and the two very on guard Ivy and Flare. Ivy has her bow drawn fully and Flare has her sword in both hands, her gaze shifting all around.

Whatever negotiations they appear to be having, they're obviously not friendly, as one of the leading figures has their staff pointed at Teresa, whilst the person driving the negotiation holds two daggers softly in their hands.

I don't know why a fight hasn't broken out, most likely due to Teresa's negotiation skills.

Either way, I can't let this golden opportunity slip by. The question is, who do I target.

I could target the three obvious leaders in the center, but I don't know if the four of us could take the other twenty cloaked figures lying in wait around the cart.

That being said, I could launch a spell with a larger area of effect, primarily focusing on taking out the twenty surrounding bandits, yet that leaves a crucial question.

Without the element of surprise, can we beat the leaders of this little gang?

Eh, probably. Flare is very skilled, Ivy is very skilled, I am just alright, and we have a juiced-out healer. Worst case scenario, we fall back, Teresa heals us, and we go back into the fray.

That being said, it all hinges on my original attack succeeding, and my party following up on our advantage.

Flare and I may be at odds right now, but I highly doubt she would let any of that transfer into a real battle. Right?

Dropping to the ground silently, I press the tip of my staff to the ground and channel a large amount of mana. Over these last few months, I've worked on one thing alone.

Control.

Mentally selecting only the twenty cloaked figures and the three talking to my party as targets, I begin my assault, as quiet as a mouse, yet as deadly as a plague rat.

"Ice Age," I whisper, as the violent water mana surges from my staff and into the ground, freezing everything in its path in an instant.

As expected and as I was hoping, the cloaked figures are caught completely off guard, most of them being reduced to frozen corpses, whilst the rest are out of commission.

So far, so good.

Also within expectations, is the reaction from the three leading figures.

Only one seems to have been affected, the unarmed one standing a bit behind the dagger-wielding woman. I can tell from here that I've damaged at least one of their legs. Unfortunately, the other two seem almost completely unarmed by the larger spell.

Having lost the element of surprise, I dash towards the staff-wielding hooded figure, hoping to take him out first.

If I can handle the mage, I guarantee Flare can handle the melee.

Once I break from the tree line and have a clear light of sight on the mage, it's time to hit him with the old bread and butter.

Unleashing a wave of Divinity with my left hand, I can see the translucent golden wave crash against him, as a look of surprise flashed across the old man's now visible face, as he turned to look in my direction.

Yet before he can even begin to make a move against me, I stick my staff forward and hit with everything I've got

"Absolute Zero!" I yell, as the beam of pure ice mana fires center mass on the old man.

Yet, moments before it connects with his chest, two things occur.

First, it collides with a large previously unseen wall of wind, and secondly, the small bit of spell that was able to penetrate the barrier is deflected by the dagger-wielding woman, moving too fast for the eye to see.

As the swift movement causes the hood on the dagger-wielding woman to fly back, I take aim directly at her head, firing off an Eisdamon before she's able to recover her footing.

The large icicle was just about to lodge itself into the side of her head, yet once again a wall of wind was erected and the attack was stopped mere moments before it could do any serious damage.

Clasping my hands together, it's time to try out my newest spell, Plasma Ray.

Yet, just before I was able to launch my attack, something stopped me in my tracks.

Well, to say it more accurately, something tackled me to the ground.

Looking at the face of my attacker caused me to just about faint on the spot, yet his yell afterward was what sent my consciousness away.

"Antonio!" Gust yelled, tackling me, as I fainted in surprise.

--- Point of View: Teresa Delarus ---

Just as I had reluctantly agreed to give over Antonio in exchange for our lives, what I assumed was a miracle happened.

Antonio appeared behind the Tiamat's crew and froze all twenty of the stone golems, leaving just the Tiamat, the Golemancer, and the Wind Sprite left.

However, before he was able to make any more significant moves, and before we were able to follow his lead and attack who I'm assuming are rival Tiamat's, the leader of the group tackles Antonio to the ground.

I don't really know or understand Tiamat culture, but why else would he choose to hire two A-rank adventurers just to track down Antonio. If he was after me or anyone else, they wouldn't let us live in exchange for his location.

Yet, what surprised me even more, was what transpired after the tackle.

Instead of resisting, casting any spells, or even speaking, Antonio passed out. His face contorted as if he'd seen a ghost.

As the Tiamat stood up, carrying Anotonio in a bridal carry, his scary and violent demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, his face was that of a proud and doting parent.

"I knew the boy had potential, but to be able to accomplish this much?! At his age? Surge could learn a thing or two from him." He said with a calm smile as he continued to walk towards the three of us, as we remain vigilant and in formation.

"There, you have him. Now tell us who you are and w-what you want with my knight." I say, steeling my resolve and giving a queue to Ivy and Flare.

The reason I was okay with giving out Antonio's location, was due to the fact I simply assumed he'd win the fight. The power he's been working on should be able to neutralize the Tiamat and Wind Sprite, and in a magic fight, I'd bet a month of tax on him beating out a golemancer.

"Oh, very sorry. I was so caught up in the worry that you lot had kidnapped him, I never stopped to assume he would simply be working. The name is Gust, Gust Renarus, and I'm Antonio's father." The Tiamat said, setting down Antonio in our cart and walking up with his hand out for a handshake.

I have so, so many questions.