TBATE-ONESHOTS

Crime and Passion 2

Tessia Eralith POV

The thieves guild members yelled battle cries before they charged toward us. Their archers knocked their arrows, and their conjurers prepared a variety of spells. The guild member in the black leather armor, obviously their leader, stood still and watched everyone intently.

The guards around me all got into defensive stances, with the shield wielders standing in the front, coating themselves in mana or their respective elements.

I noticed some of them were shaking slightly, most likely since we were outnumbered two to one, but they held fast with determined looks.

My eyes darted between the thieves guild members charging toward us, seeing their weapons coated in magic. My eyes flicked to their archers and conjurers when they released their magic-covered arrows and spells.

"Create barriers!" The captain of the guard unit yelled.

Three of the guards around me stepped forward and raised their hands in the air. A significant wind barrier formed around us right before the arrows and spells clashed into it with different elemental explosions. The guards holding the barrier grunted a little but didn't yield at the onslaught of the attack.

The guild members closed in, and their ranged attackers ceased their attacks. The guards dispersed the barrier and stepped back, reforming the defensive formation. I waved my right hand, creating a plant sword in my hand, and got into a defensive stance just as the guild members slammed into the guard unit.

Metal clashing into the shields reverberated through the air, and the guards pushed the guild members back. The guards standing behind the shield wielders thrust their swords or spears forward, stabbing the guild members in the chest or shoulder.

Some of the guild members coated their blades with magic, preparing to swing their weapons in ranged attacks. Seeing how the guards around me were focused on the melee attackers, I quickly waved my left hand. Several vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around the thieves guild members preparing their ranged attacks.

Some of the thieves guild members covered themselves in elemental magic, either shredding or burning away the vines, while the others were pulled to the ground.

"Nice work, Princess!" The Captain yelled.

The right corner of my lips curved into a smirk, "Thanks."

My eyes scanned the area seeing the guard unit holding firm, keeping the thieves guild members back while others were trapped on the ground. I shouldn't have been surprised since the royal guard members were among the most elite warriors in the elven military.

I looked back up to where the ranged thieves guild members were, seeing their ranged attackers looking at us casually. Curiosity washed over me, wondering why they were just standing there and not helping their comrades. I continued to look at the ranged attackers when I suddenly went wide-eyed, noticing their leader was no longer where I last saw them.

My eyes darted around the area, trying to locate them. Part of me hoped that he noticed the guards were well-trained and decided to leave the area, but I knew they wouldn't give up so easily.

I suddenly felt the earth beneath me begin to tremble, and I looked back forward. My gaze darted across the guards and guild members when they finally landed on two thieves guild members kneeling on the ground a few feet away. They had their hand's palm flat on the ground, and I felt a fluctuation of magic from them.

I looked down, still feeling the trembling sensation beneath us, and I mentally cursed when I realized what was happening.

I urgently looked at the guards, "Beneath us!"

My warning came too late as the earth beneath the guards broke apart like an explosion, throwing several guards into the air, with several earthen pillars shooting up from the ground, breaking the guard formation.

"No!" I yelled in frustration.

I gritted my teeth and looked around, seeing most, if not all, of the guards were injured. My gaze fell to the ground beneath me, seeing the earth was not disturbed like the earth mages specifically made sure to affect the area where I was standing.

"Move in!" I heard a voice yell.

I looked up seeing the thieves guild members, who were still ambulatory, charging toward us. I narrowed my eyes at them with determination. I reached into my core and activated the first phase of my beast will, the beast will of the Elderwood Guardian.

I felt a burst of power course through my body, my hair turned green, and green runes covered my skin. The thieves guild members all looked at me with shocked expressions as I dispelled my plant sword and raised my hands. A tsunami of sharpened vines shot up from the ground in front of the guards, aimed at the guild members.

I was about to thrust my hands forward when I suddenly felt a hand wrap around my throat and a blade press against the small of my back from someone behind me.

"Ah ah ah," He whispered in my ear. "Deactivate your beast will, and tell your guard unit to stand down."

I gritted my teeth, with thoughts racing of how he managed to get around me. "Go ahead. Kill me. I'm not afraid of dying," I seethed.

There was a brief pause, where everything seemed to stop. The thieves guild members weren't moving, and the guards stopped trying to get up, looking at us intently with looks of concern and anger.

The one holding my throat didn't say anything for a few seconds before I heard him give off a chuckle. "I must admit, I didn't expect that answer from you. However, think about your guards," He said.

My eyes narrowed, "What?"

"What's stopping me from killing your guards after I kill you?" He responded.

My eyes flicked to the guards, seeing all their faces looking at me. I hadn't even considered what would happen to them.

"What's stopping you from killing them now," I said.

"Hmm, good point," He said. "Tell you what, I give you my word that if you come with me willingly, no further harm will come to your guards."

I scoffed, "And what guarantee would I have that you would uphold your word."

"I guess you'll just have to trust me," He chuckled. His grip on my throat tightened, "The decision is yours. Choose."

I clenched my fists and looked at the guards. Thoughts and ideas of how to get out of this predicament raced through my head, with nothing good coming to mind. I could say no, but he'd just kill me and then kill the guards. If I say yes, there's the chance the guards would be saved.

After a few moments, I sighed, "Stand down."

"But-"

"I said stand down!" I repeated and deactivated my beast will.

I felt as the man behind me took his blade away from my back. My eyes flicked to my right as he dangled a pair of mana suppression cuffs over my shoulder.

"Don't do it, Princess!" One of the guards said.

"Silence," I said sternly.

I grabbed the cuffs and clasped them to my wrists. I immediately felt weaker with my magic being suppressed, but I held a strong facade.

He took his hand off my throat, grabbed my shoulders, and spun me around to face him. My eyes fell onto the black-leathered individual who I was looking for earlier. I glared at him as he looked down at the mana suppression cuffs and ensured they were snug on my wrists.

His deep, piercing azure eyes then flicked to me, "Good girl."