Thief's Magician (on hold)

Chapter 7

The race is on and Noel try not to complain when Leon spur his horse forward, making her catching his dust. She is not a season rider and the exertion of riding for two days is getting on her –though they did stop sometimes to rest the horses and have quick nap. He ignores her first call and then she decides to just to stop and drop dead on the spot. She sigh and then fainted just when he turn around to see if she is catching up with him. He turns around and jumps down, catching her, saving her head from being slam to the ground. When she wakes up, it is already dark, and only the light from the fire Leon had built brightening the area, giving soft warmth. Leon is sitting under a tree; his face is grimmer than usual. She twitches her hand, expecting pain from her fall, and Leon surge forward, relief fill his eyes.

"You're awake. I thought you're dead, I was quite ready to bury you." She smile and got up, checking if there is any bruise.

"Alas for you, I'm alive, there's no pain."

"I caught you." He rakes his hair back when a lock fell to his forehead. "You give me quite a start when I saw you slide down your horse. But then I was being a jerk, pushing you to that extent." She smile and close her eyes back.

"You are, but then you became a knight when you caught me."

"You're not dying on me are you? You sound like you're dying. I’m a thief, not a murderer." She wanted to laugh at his panic tone but then she is too exhausted to react anything else.

"No Leon, I'm just tired. Tomorrow we'll continue the search." He sighs and lay down on his blanket, watching her intently. "I'm still breathing Leon, sleep now." He grunt and then turn towards the tree, mumbling some oath to himself. Grinning, Noel fell to sleep back, only to be awaken the next morning by Leon cursing and yelling at her to wake up. She covered her ears and started to drift to sleep again till something cold and sharp press to her side.

"Noel, don't open your eyes!" Exasperated, Noel got up but heeds his words, scowling to where she thought it is his direction.

"You yell at me to get up and now you said don't open my eyes? Do you want me to sleep back?" She huff and then heard another person giggling. Then she felt surrounded. "Leon, we're not alone are we?"

"Don't touch-"

"She's funny." A pinch-squeaky voice spoke from her left, cutting Leon warning. "Come on, open your eyes and see what your captors are."

"Noel-"

"Shut up, you are so annoying." The sound scuffle fills Noel's hearing and she is afraid someone might be hurt. She got up and then fall back on her back as a tiny hand push her down by shoulder. A dreadful roar sounded near her and now she is scared for her own safety as she debates the wisdom of opening her eyes. Something fast past her and she had to open her eyes to see what it is. She hadn't notice the area last night and now she is stun to see how beautiful it is. Crystal shot out from the ground, the leaf of the tree is like gathered jade and the fruit is like lump of gemstones. There are natures all around, in vivid color. And Leon is fighting a group of bandit that looks like...human size-fairy. She rubs her eyes and then her temple, look again at them to check if she is still sleeping and having a very weird dream. She duck when a fairy flew to her, and before it can slash Noel with its claw, Leon grabs it by collar and flung it behind him. The scene of utter chaos, worst than in the bidding house, a contra to the peaceful nature, and Leon is in the centre of it. The noise from the fairy's wing make Noel's head pound and she covered her ears to block the sound. She pulls out her wand and points it towards the sky.

"Descend; Aqua Needle Drop!" Amazingly, her spell work, much to her surprise but then she couldn't dwell on it long as the headache increase and the heavy downpour of sharp needle, targeting the fairies and avoiding she and Leon. The fairies scramble off, covering themselves with their shield, promising that they will come back. As the spell end, her headache subsides, giving her chance to really feeling awe that she could do spell. Leon approaches her, the quirk of his brow letting her know that he too is impressed.