TBATE: The Beginning of My Redemption

Chapter 4 : The unknown whisper

"Hmm." I look back at the birthday presents they gave me. Mother and Father gifted Arthur and me new clothes they had prepared before we started the journey. The twins gave us gifts too—books for me and toy weapons and a real dagger for Arthur.

Right now, Adam is talking about the trouble Father caused them. "Pretty sure Rey wasn't the only one that caused trouble. Wasn't there a time when you accidentally set off—" Helen began, but Adam interrupted, "Oh no, what was that? Never mind, just a little rodent."

I look at Mother. She has been feeling a bit sick for a while, but I don't think she's ill. Her symptoms are vomiting, needing lots of sleep, and a big appetite. Hmm, what could it be? I think. Oh! Ohhh! Mother is pregnant!

I show a rare smile. I'm going to get another sibling. If I'm not wrong, I hope for a sister this time.

Suddenly, the whole carriage shook, and Helen shouted, "Bandits! Everyone, prepare to engage!" As soon as she said this, Angele began to prepare a spell. "Submit, O wind, and follow my will. Gather and protect!" Mother started shielding us with her body.

Mother, no! You are pregnant. You don't need to protect me, just Arthur, I wanted to say, but Angele's spell began to work. A barrier of wind repelled the arrows away. As soon as all the arrows stopped, the wind barrier dissipated. An angry Jasmine got down from the carriage, followed by Father and the twins, all of whom looked furious. Mother finally released us from her protective embrace.

I looked to the left and saw that an arrow had hit Helen in the thigh. Then I looked in front of us. Damn it, we are completely surrounded. It seems I've lived too comfortably. I knew a day like this would come, but why now? Why right now? Calm down, Sasuke. You need to control your emotions. Why, why, only if I had my power...

"Damn it," I muttered. What did that bastard say? Why are you holding back? You know you can kill them all if you want to. Are you afraid they will think you're a monster? a whispering voice came to me. No, stop!

I was brought back to reality by Mother hugging me and Arthur. "Don't worry, I am here," she said, calming me down.

Father shouted, "There are only four mages, and it seems no conjurers. The rest are normal warriors."

I could visibly see how quickly Father reverted back to his former adventurer days when he had once led the Twin Horns. His expression held the wisdom that could only come from experience. He donned his gauntlets, shouting, "Safeguard Formation!"

Adam quickly arrived behind us, facing the back of the road with his spear pointed. Jasmine and Helen took positions to our left, weapons unsheathed, facing ahead. Father and Durden faced the mountainside, positioning themselves to protect us from the archers overhead. Meanwhile, Angele maintained her position, preparing another spell as she kept her wind barrier active.

"Gather and guard my allies, O' benevolent Earth; do not let them be harmed!"

[Earth Wall]

The ground rumbled as a four-meter earthen wall rose up in front of Durden.

Using that moment, Father burst forward, raising his gauntlets in a guard position against the arrows toward the enemy archers.

Moments later, Angele finished her spell and unleashed a torrent of wind blades, aimed at the front and back of the path. That was apparently the cue as Adam and Jasmine shadowed behind the wind spell, arriving in front of our distraught enemies who were covering their vitals against the flurry of blades. Helen remained, her arrow nocked and bow drawn, imbuing the tip with mana that shined in a faint blue light.