Just In Time

They began to run in the opposite direction. If Esvor's memory served him right, they'd reach Redhaven's eastern exit in about ten minutes, where the soldiers he had ordered from Snow Fallen were camping. But with the girl slowing down, that ten minutes seemed like it would stretch to twenty.

He was still in pain since the high elf didn't have time to fully heal him. But with the adrenaline pumping through his body, he could keep running.

"Faster!" The Rebel-King said. "We're close!"

"I'm…" She was panting heavily. "Okay…"

"There!" the boss yelled behind them. "I saw the bastards!"

"After them!"

The dense trees began to blur together, confusing Esvor about which direction to take. Everything looked unsettlingly familiar, as if he had been through this exact spot just five minutes ago.

A fireball crashed near them, setting a tree on fire. Then, the fire spread quickly to the next tree. Not long after, black smokes took over the forest.

The boss and his men were close, The Rebel-King could hear their heavy boots crunching on the leaves.

"We have to fight." The Rebel-King turned toward them. "You go and run."

"But –"

Over twenty men stood in front of Esvor, weapons at the ready. Some of the blessed ones cast enchantment spells on themselves and their comrades, making their weapons glow yellow. If only Esvor were blessed by a god too, he might have had a chance to fight them.

He took an aggressive stance, readying his weapon and putting the little girl behind him. Never in his life had he thought he'd be protecting a high elf.

"End of the line fucker," the boss sneered.

"Now, now, men. We have a kid here. No swearing," The Rebel-King joked, trying to buy time.

"Oh, I'll cut that bitch's ear and feed it to her," the boss snarled.

The boss then hurled three fireballs in rapid succession. Esvor deflected the first one with his sword, the flames splashing harmlessly to the side. The second fireball struck Esvor square in the chest, sending him flying back with a grunt of pain. The third fireball, aimed to finish him off, was blocked by a shimmering barrier spell cast by the little girl.

Esvor, struggling to his feet, felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. They were outnumbered and outmatched.

Just as despair began to set in, a thunderous roar echoed through the forest. Over 150 men, Esvor's soldiers from Snow Fallen, charged into the clearing. The sheer number of them, combined with their battle cries, struck fear into the hearts of the bandits.

"Oi, that's our King!"

"True-King!"

"King!"

"Help the King!"

"Leave him alone, ya fucking dogs!"

"Help him!"

Seeing the overwhelming force bearing down on them, the bandits attempted to flee, but they were quickly surrounded. The soldiers from Snow Fallen showed no mercy, cutting down the bandits with ease. The clearing soon became a chaotic battlefield, the bandits' bravado vanishing as they fell one by one.

Esvor's men quickly formed a protective ring around him and the girl, ensuring no harm could come to them. One of his captains approached, offering a hand to help Esvor to his feet.

"We got here just in time, sir," the captain said, with respect in his voice. "Are you okay? Men, we got a Dierman-blessed here? He needs healing!"

Esvor nodded, gripping the captain's hand and standing tall despite his injuries. "Good to see you, Roderick."

"Who's the girl, King? An elf?"

"Yeah, she's just a kid. You see what happened in Quarry?" Esvor asked.

"No – where's that?"

"I'll tell you later," Esvor said, taking a deep breath. "Boys! I owe all of you a beer! Let's get to Redhaven and drink like kings!"

All of them cheered and held their weapons high in celebration.

The little girl, still wide-eyed from the encounter, clung to Esvor's side. "Are – are we going to be okay? Who are these people?"

"My family." Esvor replied. "Stick close to me. When we get to Redhaven, I'll drop you off at KCO and we'll never see each other again, okay?"

"O-okay…"

After they extinguished the fire, the men began to loot the fallen bandits, while Esvor and the little girl sat on top of a rock. Two of his men came forward, casting a healing spell on their king. Once he was fully healed, they glanced at Esvor with uncertainty. The sight of a high elf so close to them showed in their faces – they were disgusted. But out of respect, they didn't say anything.

The girl understood their hatred toward her and fixed her eyes on the ground. She was scared and sweating.

"You all hate us…" the girl said, her voice trembling.

"Yes, we do. High elves are a disease, and our blades are the cure," replied one of the soldiers harshly. "Be thankful we don't end you here, elf."

The girl gulped. "I'm sorry…"

"I know your parents probably taught you that humans and high elves can live together in peace," Esvor said, his tone serious but not unkind. "But it's impossible. Your kind came here, took our land. Killed, raped, tortured humans. We didn't start this war, you did. Your kind did."

"Humans in Quarry were kind to us," she said, wiping her tears. "Please don't hate us…"

"They were kind to you because they didn't see what I saw. They didn't see how ruthless your kind are," Esvor replied, a shadow passing over his face. "You're still a kid. But after you grow up, you'll become our enemy. You'll hunt humans, and humans will hunt you. This is the part you have to play – this is the part we have to play."

The girl's tears continued to flow. "I don't want to play that part."

"It's too late for that," Esvor said, gazing at the sky. "There's no redemption for your kind… I hope our paths won't cross after this, girl. Because when we meet again – we'll have to fight. And I don't want to win or lose."

The girl looked down, her small hands clutching tightly at Esvor's cloak. "But I don't want to fight you…"

Esvor sighed, his heart heavy. "Sometimes, we don't get to choose our battles." He stood up. "Oi, enough looting, men!"

"Yes, King."

"Stay close to me for now." The Rebel-King said to the elf. "Okay?"

"O-okay…"