Letter from the Princess.

It's been a couple months since Ashbern at this point, and we are making the trek from Kalberk to Etistin. Etistin if you count by cities would be considered the halfway point, but in distance it's a little less. As it's the halfway point and the biggest city after Xyrus, Mr. Zany plans to stay there for at least a month. It's been a total of 3 and half months since we left, and it's a 2 week trip to Etistin from Kalberk as the trails have many hills slowing the carriages. This also means more breaks for the horses from having to pull such heavy loads, up and down hill.

I can already smell the salty air of the see floating on the wind and can't wait to see the ocean. I'm currently riding in the last wagon as it has become "my spot" as the others tend to say. I'm also opening the letter I received from the Princess back in Kalberk. She had sent it here a couple weeks ago after my last letter I sent from Eksire made it to her.

To receive these letters she has sent them under another name as to not draw attention, as to why the Princess would be sending letters to random towns. I just sneak off and change into my normal clothes to accept them at the messengers office in the new cities. This letter is much like the others she sends.

"To Jaron Helstea,

I'm writing to you today to express my sincere displeasure in my instructors, they expect so much from me just because I am the Princess. I wish that like you I could travel to the various cities, and see the sights candidly rather than by escort of the guards.

I wish I could walk up and down the streets and see the many vendors without drawing the attention a royal escort does! However it seems my troubles are not as grave as yours. My heart dropped when I read that you were attacked by bandits. I do hope you are truly okay and not just pretending I'm order to keep me happy. I ha- severely dislike dishonest people.

I also want to express my displeasure again at the fact that you won't be at the auctions for the next 3 years. I had looked forward to seeing you again. I-I don't make friends often and I feel, oddly at ease in your presence. I don't feel the weighty sensation of expectation like I do from everyone else. I feel at.. peace around you.

Please come back soon.

Yours most sincerely,

Kathyln Glayder"

(AN: she can sign her name normally but the outside of the letter has her false name)

I chuckle at the letter because I can feel that her instructor or someone similar was reading the letter as she wrote it. Each letter is meticulously written as to not displease her teachers. Well I guess I should write back.

"Dear Princess,

I can feel your frustrations through you words that you write, as well as the stiffness in them. Is instructor Suzanne watching you write after the last letter? While it is annoying I'm sure, you'll only make it worse by fighting with her.

As for expectations, oddly I can relate to the suffocating feeling. The need to continually improve myself has weighed heavily on my mind. As for seeing the city as you please, just try to hold out until the academy. Then we will be able to (definitely not Mrs Suzanne) sneak off and visit the local shops and vendors.

Please do not fret for my safety as I'm being protected by a rather capable group of adventurers. Sure there are some sour apples in the group of reds, but sometimes the drama is half the trip. Besides he seems to be turning a new leaf as of late.

As for being dishonest, well I can't promise to always be truthful. Sometimes small lies until the other is ready is the most logical course of action, as a Princess I'm sure you know this best. And besides didn't you tell me last time how you had to fake a smile the entire time Lady Laramie visited you for tea?

As for not being at the auction I can only express my sincerest apologies, and ask you to wait for my travel to end in 2 years and some months from now. When I find the appropriate gift I intend to send it to you immediately, but it's quite hard to find a gift for a Princess you know?

I'll be back before you know it.

Truly yours,

Jaron Helstea"

Finishing the letter I call down for Tuk.

'Please drop this off at the messenger office back in Kalberk. Thanks Tuk.' I hear the whooshing of wind and Tuk is perched on the back rest of the wagon, frightening the driver. He glides to me and I hold the letter out for him, snagging it in his mouth as he flies back off to Kalberk.

'Be back soon hatchling.' He says as he shoots off with a jet of wind mana coming off of him making my cloak slightly flutter and waking the sleeping Naomi who has been napping just too my left. The wind causing her hair to flutter all over the place, looking rather funny. She sits up and glares at me before huffing and fixing her hair.

"I asked you not to do that anymore, especially not while I'm sleeping. Don't you know a maiden needs her beauty sleep?" She says grumpily while trying to contain her hair. I just laugh and stare out the back of the carriage were I can see Patrick walking, also chuckling at the disgruntled Naomi.

I had become friends with the dark knights as the weeks turned to months of traveling together. Really after my help against the bandits everyone has become more accepting of me. I think, even if they don't want to admit it, they didn't think much of me because of my size. In that battle I had proved my worth to the party in their eyes, leading to more casual conversations happening between us. Rather than the constant bombardment that is a "conversation" with Naomi.

"You should be used to the sleeping rotations by now." Patrick called to her in mirth, which earned him a sleepy eyed glare.

"Ugh how much longer till Etistin?!" She cried childishly once again earning snickers from me and Patrick.

"We just left Kalberk only 3 days ago, and you're already complaining? Maybe you should hang up your adventuring gear." Patrick seems to have a death wish today, if he keeps egging her on.

"If you don't hush, I'll tell Amanda you have a crush on her." She said with a little bite in her voice. Patrick stumbled briefly and looked up with a bright blush on his face.

"Y-you knew?!" He whined.

"It's so obvious and I'm sure if I've noticed then she has as well." She said with a haughty look on her face, arms crossed and nose turned up. Patrick could only hang his head and walk along sadly and slowly. Feeling her victory and her hair finally tamed, she leaned back against the wagon with a big sigh.

"So Mr. masked flaming swordsman, how's your wife doing now? Did you respond to her letter?" I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and gave a brief nod.

"That's what Tuk was getting when he woke you up, my response. I imagine she will send the next one to Etistin since we plan to stay there for a month. The whole month of October from what I understand." I respond to her.

"Haaaah! I can't believe it's already September, time flies." I look at her for a few seconds before snorting.

"Hmph, and to think you were just complaining how long everything was taking." I said with amusement in my voice.

"You don't have to take everything I say so literal ya know??" She pouted, and turned her head.

"Please inform me the next time you're being serious, so I'll be ready." I quip back, only to receipts slap on the arm.

"Ugh! Its impossible to talk to you people. I'm going to sit with Amanda." She says as she stands and then leaps out of the wagon before running ahead a couple wagons where Amanda was sitting with Velk. She had taken to learning from Velk over these past couple of months, even though he's a wind mage and she a fire mage.

"Phew you scared her off before she could begin her 1000 questions for the day." Patrick said with a slight whistle. I nod.

"Yes, but I imagine she'll have some at dinner tonight." I say as I look at the sun beginning to fall in the distance ahead of us. Me and Patrick talked for a few hours as I asked him some questions about his 2 years as adventurer. Apparently the dark knights is a recent formation as it started off with just him and Amanda who came from the same village. She had waited for him to become an adventurer so they could form a party together.

From what I heard it seemed as though Patrick wasn't the only one with a crush. Throughout their childhood even though Amanda was a couple years older, Patrick would always fight her bullies when they would pick on her. She began to hang around him a lot from then on, besides I've seen the way she looks at him when she thinks no one is looking. I just grin under my mask at the silliness of it all. Both wanting the other to make the first move as to not be wrong and hurt the friendship. Maybe I should play matchmaker a little, Naomi would love that.

I tune back into the conversation of how they met Damien and Waylon, apparently they were a duo that had been partied for a couple years when they met Amanda and Patrick on a low level dungeon dive. And feeling a sort of chemistry they decided to form an actual party. They found Naomi because of me when they followed the crowd from the guild hall into the exam room and saw her perform. It was a perfect fit. Another girl for Amanda to not be alone as well as another augmenter to provide support from the back lines.

How we our conversation was broken by the worried yell of Durk from the head of the convoy.

"Bandits! Halt the carriages and prepare for battle!" His worried voice made my stomach drop, as Durk had always seemed stalwart, and composed. That frantic voice was not him at all. What could he have seen? We have already fought a couple bandit groups in our travel, we should be fine.

The other carriages and a small hill blocked my view of the front, but me and Patrick hurried to the front, and what we saw shocked me. There were at least a hundred bandits and I could see some conjurers towards the back preparing spells. Tuk must have felt my worry through our bond because an out of the ordinary nervous voice came from him.

'Hatchling! What is it? What has your emotions in chaos?' His voice came through, but I couldn't respond right away.

'Bandits, Tuk. We need you back here as quick as you can. There's a hundred if not more.' Came my stilted response. I heard a growl that didn't sound right coming from a Hawk.

'Hang on hatchling I'll be there as soon as I can! Just hold on for 45 no 30 minutes. Damn it why-?' His voice cut off from the mental connection, I can only assume he's focusing all his power to reaching us but I don't think it's fast enough. No other animal I'm Dicathen could reach us faster than a Sonic Hawk and Tuk is a step above most.

I draw my sword and place a hand on Patrick's shoulder to calm him as he has been breathing heavily since we could see the bandits.

"Steady Patrick. You have people you want to protect don't you?" He gives a hesitant nod, and I nod back at him.

"Good, I have people I have to get back to so I don't plan on dying. Fight smart and go for killing blows. There will be no time to disable them if we're going to last." He nods again and grips his mace tightly.

"Lets go!" I yell and a blue flame ignites on my sword and I charge forward. Now's not the time for holding back if we're going to make it through this. I count at least 20 conjurers in their ranks, and I see at least a 10 augmenters spread out between our augmenters. I release my wind mana into my feet and run across my wind platforms, cutting the draft against my body and pushing myself from behind to increase my speed.

I make it to the front and help Corvin fight a pair of augmenters, but these bandits seem to be better than the last as even my blue sword didn't cut through his water covered one. They have better quality weapons than the last and at least this one must be orange core to be able to withstand my strike. The clash resulted in steam that instantly vaporized from the heat. If only I didn't have to contain my heat, this would be much easier. I couldn't help but growl at the mage in front of me who only smiled.

The next thing I knew a wild arrow came flying and caught Corvin in the chest, and he instantly fell unmoving.

"Corvin!" Came my distorted yell, and I pushed off the sword of the water augmenter. I sent a wind blade shooting out of my hand at him, though surprised he parried it with his sword. I used that moment to thrust my body forward and stab him through the right eye. The smell burning flesh filled my nose again, but this time I didn't feel the bile rise as before. There was calm in my chest, I could feel my eyes focusing even more.

2 more augmenters approached me an earth mage axe user and a dagger using wind mage. They jumped in and out in tandem with each other wary of the blue flaming blade. They got nicks here and there on me and I felt my heart beat faster. My first wounds in a fight! I focused even more and released my left hand from sword, forming a wind arrow and firing it at the earth mage while I'll slashed at the wind mage with a blade of flame coming off my sword.

The flying blade of flame surprised him, but only managed to cut and char his side. He hissed in pain, but before I could finish him the earth mage charged at me.

"Victor!" He yelled, as he raised his axe high. Using his emotions against him i feigned a strike at wind mage, now named Victor, before sharply turning my feet and dashing low to ground at the Earth mage. My sword cut and charred flesh simultaneously and he fell to the ground, I removed his head soon after. Looking up at Victor I see a shocked expression before rage over takes it.

He sends several wind fueled throwing knifes at me, but I just deflect them before sending another wind arrow at him. He parried as well and then we trade a few blows, but I was winning. A slash here, and then across his chest. I brought down a powerful over head slash and he went to block only for his knife to break and my sword slid cleanly through his body. As soon as it did a fireball rapidly approached my side, I tried to generate a wind wall in time but I got sent flying.

Growing and looking around as began to stand up I saw where the fireball came from and the mage was quickly forming another with a sneer on his face. The biggest problem is that he's close to where I had seen Patrick and Waylon fighting.

"Patrick!" I hear Amanda cry and I see past the conjurer where Patrick is kneeling on both legs, with a sword through his chest. Amanda jumps from the wagon but before I could stop her a wind propelled air shot across my vision and pinned her to the wagon.

First Corvin, now Patrick and Amanda too. I stood up and found Durk holding off a couple augmenters with his ice, and Velk was doing his best to stop the long range attacks of the other conjurers. That's when it happened, 2 massive fire balls flew in from behind them and caught Velk in the back as he couldn't respond in time. Durk was able to raise his shield to block most of it, but blocking the fire ball led to the augmenters getting their cuts in on his body and legs.

He dropped to one knee forming ice around his sword and slashing at anymore who came close, spinning in circles on the one knee. I looked for the source and found Maverick standing there looking at everything with a vicious smile on his face. I feel my blood surge through my veins. He betrayed us!

That's when I saw Naomi's limp body laying beside him with a dagger in her back, as he kicked her off the wagon. Near Durk I finally saw the bodies of Damien and Waylon, scorch marks and blade wounds marred their bodies. I could only stand there frozen in shock as I took everything in, the people I had adventures with the last few months were laying on the ground. Because we were betrayed, no because I wasn't strong enough. I took too long with those first few bandits.

I grip my sword and my mana flares heavily, and my blames take on a bright blue color and I let the heat free to flow as it wants. The raw mana being influenced by my equally raw emotions sent the lightning down my sword as well. I could feel my fire becoming hotter and brighter until it hurt to look at without mana reinforcing my eyes.

The bright light drew all the bandits attention but they quickly shielded their eyes from the intense brightness. Non mages couldn't look and some mages as well since they didn't know how to protect their eyes.

"Aahhhhh!" I let out an anguished yell infused with sound mana that targeted the eardrums of every bandit near me, and they all collapsed to their knees screaming as they held their ears. I locked eyes with Maverick and I could feel my mana continue to leak out of my body. The heat from my sword caused it to look wavy around me.

I focused my lightning mana through my body to replicate Arthur's Thunderclap impulse. No longer holding back as I had, blinding blue fire covered my arms and legs and wind swirled around me. Lightning crackled off my sword and out the eye slits of my mask. I could feel my sword vibrating as if in anticipation. Unable to hold back any longer I charged to the group of bandits, Maverick would be saved for last.

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Author's Note

Sorry for the dreaded cliffhanger, but I was already at 3200 words! Next chapter we will see MC take his revenge. Also warning there will be slight torture on the level of what Arthur did to Lucas.

Hopefully people didn't just skip the chapter after the letter or I'm sure there are going to be some very confused people next chapter.

Also tell me were you surprised or did you expect this? I'm sure most expected a retaliation from Maverick but surely not to this extent. I hope the building of the relationships made you feel this chapter as much as I did.

Also I know this chapter primarily focused on the betrayal but I hope the letter between him and Kathyln added a little bit.

I'll try to upload the next chapter tomorrow as to not keep you in suspense on the ending. But I have work tomorrow, so it's a toss up.

Thanks for reading.

-SocioPhobia