BAD CROW MOUNTAIN (Lesbian)

CHAPTER 25 New bodyguards

I gaze at the swiftly flowing river below me. The River Valley is alive with energy and vitality. Somewhere down there, a river mermaid laughs brightly, her voice echoing like the chime of a silver bell before fading away. I can't run anymore. All my life I've been running from something: first, I ran from my village as soon as I realized I had magical powers, then I ran from my calling by taking a job with the Mills family to become a bodyguard for courtly elites whose lineage traces back to Westlandia. Then I ran from my fatal mistake, wandering from village to village, then I fled from Terra and Zil, and now I'm running from these two...

"You know what, guys, I think I'll stretch my muscles a bit," I say, shrugging off my jacket and rolling up my sleeves. My old one-handed sword would be super helpful, but it was stolen from me back then as if a million years ago! It's time for me to stop relying solely on magic. Let's shake things up a bit! I grin. How I missed this feeling!

But someone is ahead of me. Two men are attacked from behind on both sides. The first man falls from a simple spell known at the academy as "shovel," which someone who experienced it said felt like getting hit on the head with a shovel. Not deadly, but you won't come to your senses right away. I freeze in a classic fighting stance that wouldn't scare even a garden fairy.

An arrow whistles through the air and hits the leather armor with a nasty basilisk emblem. The armor, of course, holds up, and the arrow gets stuck partially in it, partially in man number two. He growls more out of anger than pain (after all, they obviously weren't aiming to kill him). The man is distracted by the arrow and irritably pulls it out. His distraction prevents him from helping man number one (they would probably argue over who's number one and who's number two), and he forgets about me too.

Now I clearly see who is helping me, and I can't believe my eyes. The boy, albeit uncertainly, casts another spell, this time it's my favorite "repelling" spell! I know it's difficult for him, I see how tense his thin face is and how his fingertips tremble slightly, but he handles it well, although Zil is not even a future combat mage.

Terra stands in all her glory, holding a bow and another arrow on her head. She lowers the bow only when she realizes that man number one and man number two are knocked out. She is all in black, as befits elven warriors. I am struck not only by her appearance but also by her demeanor and stance. Stern, slender, and serene. This is probably what the first daughters of Amixantra looked like. And indeed, she bears a striking resemblance to the statue of Antolia in that abandoned temple on the seaside. Maybe it's high time I should read a little about the gods, elves, and first humans.

"Are you alright?" Terra rushes to me. At first, she stops at arm's length, then she quickly puts the arrow in the quiver and hurriedly embraces me, enveloping me not only in her arms but also in the scent of elven rose soap and campfire.

"I'm afraid to ask how you ended up here!" I exclaim.

"I can hardly believe in such a strange coincidence myself," Zil says in a trembling voice. But not only his voice trembles, but also his hands after two combat spells.

"You really outdid them!" I praise my friends.

"Madam, I can't even imagine how battle mages can frequently use these spells!"

"And these are just the basics. Don't worry, kid, you'll get used to it soon. Not everyone is meant to chase water creatures with a notebook. Anyway, let's save the praises for late dinner. Why are you here? Why are you here, Madam Terra?" I don't take my eyes off her, catching every move she makes.

"When you left, Madam, I threw my belongings into my room at the academy and went for a walk to clear my head and gather my thoughts when I noticed these two bastards. At first, I didn't pay attention to them, but then I became curious why the guards were patrolling around the academy — it's wizard's territory and usually our mages patrol it. I decided to follow them!"

"It could have been dangerous. I told you not to play a hero."

"Thank you for your concern, Madam! I'm just a student mage, I would have told them, as you taught me, that I'm observing birds and flowers in practice. And that's when I met Terra!"

"I was so scared I almost dropped my bow when Zil popped up out of nowhere! I also noticed these two, not just today, but also when we were in Roseville. The guards rarely come so far from the capital unless it's..."

"Unless it's a special royal assignment," we both finish the sentence.

"So we quietly followed them until we found you, Eden. The rest you know."

It's rare for anyone to call me by my name, and suddenly everyone — even strangers —knows knows it. It feels like Crow flew away somewhere.

"That still doesn't explain why you came back. Did the portal lead the wrong way? Didn't you meet your mother?"

"Quite the opposite, I met her and hurried to catch up with you, trailing about half a day behind," the elfia says.

"But why?" I don't see any sense in her actions.

"She ordered to guard you and escort you to the main royal elven palace in Sapphirus Lacus."