The Princess Who Went to War

Chapter 5 - The Glowing Sigil

[Calysta]

"What do we do with the fog, Ser?" Randall, one of Elwood's soldiers ask.

Ser Elwood looks back at me, seemingly blaming me for the fog's presence, as if it's not an advantage to us. 

"It shall clear its way for us." I tell the soldier. 

We continue on our way as I hold out my right hand. Willing for the road in front of us to be cleared of the fog. The fog dissipates around us and we see clear enough ahead.   

"Goblin footprints." Wilbur, a soldier that specializes in tracking says as he kneels down and touches the damp ground caused by my rains. 

"Be on alert." Ser Elwood tells us. 

The men place their hands on the handles of their swords as we move forward, slowly. 

We follow the foot11steps on the ground as we walk through the thick of the forest. When suddenly, the footsteps disappear. 

"That's odd." Wilbur says as he looks around to look for more. 

"Visitors!" We all look up as we hear the roar of the giant. Right then, a dozen or more goblins come jumping down from the tall trees above us. They were staying up on the trees. 

Everyone quickly draws their own swords and get ready to fight. Before the goblins hit the ground, I quickly hold both my hands up and summon a strong gust of wind. 

My wind blows the goblins upwards once more before taking them very hard right back down to the ground. Some of them grunt as their backs and hit the forest floor. 

The soldiers use this opportunity to attack and kill them, slashing some of them clean. 

At the corner of my eye, I spot Gwen battling three goblins when Ser Elwood steps in and helps her. The ground shakes as two giants leap from the trees. They are below average in height for a giant, around ten feet tall, but this height and built difference is still a disadvantage for us. 

I draw Talassia from its scabbard. I feel tingling in my hands as the skies above us turn dark and thunderclouds appear. 

I will for lightning in my hands, and a gush of electricity travels through the length of Talassia. 

My sword, being forged from the lightning stone, has the capacity to conduct electricity ten times more than the ordinary metal. 

 The giants watch in shock as I do this. I then quickly charge for one of the giants, and he gets in a defense position, holding out his hand to block my sword.

What he does not know, however, is that I do not need to get too close just to hurt him. I stop a few inches away from him as I lift my sword above my head and it absorbs lightning from the thunderclouds above us. 

I flick it right at the giant's direction and a zap of lightning hits him, burning his skin and clothes and knocking him off his feet. 

Seeing this, the other giant charges for me, reaching out his hand to scoop me up. I get ready to summon lightning once again, when his hand is sliced clean by Ser Elwood's sword. He looks at me as he's covered by the giant's blood. 

The giant screams in pain as he holds his hand. His staggers forward, and I see him starting to fall. Ser Elwood doesn't have time to react as he watches the giant fall right on top of him.

In a blink, I summon a gust of wind to stop the giant and knock him backwards, instead of falling on top of Ser Elwood. 

"Princess Calysta!" Gwen warns as I feel a goblin charging for me. Summoning a strong gust of wind, as quickly as I can, using all the magic I can, I turn back, swiping my hand. 

The gust of wind slices the goblin in half. I stagger back, drained from using all that magic in a split second, shocked at what just happened.

This is the first time my wind has ever caused an injury like that. I look down at my hand to see that the goblin's blood has splashed on me as well. 

I look back to see Randall stabbing the last standing goblin right in its chest and it falls down to its knees. 

"Your Highness, are you all right?" Gwen asks me as she approaches me, flicking off the dripping blood from her sword before she places it back on her scabbard.

I look around to see all the soldiers and Ser Elwood staring at me, probably in shock. Seeing a sorceress power in person comes rarely for a lot of people. There are only a few sorceress left in the Kingdom, and most of them live away from people. 

"Let's head back." Ser Elwood breaks the silence as he places his own sword back in his scabbard as well. 

"There really was a lot." A soldier comments. 

"What matters is that we've cleared this group." Wilbur says. 

"Double check." Ser Elwood commands his soldiers. They all check around to ensure that each goblin and giant is dead. 

"Ser. There's something here." Randall says as he stands over one giant. 

We all come closer to see what he is referring to. On the giant's chest is a glowing sigil that I've never seen before. 

Ser Elwood turns to me, knowing full well that the glowing sigil on this giant's chest can only mean one thing: magic. 

I come close, reaching my hand out to touch the sigil. As my hand comes closer, electricity is seemingly absorbed from my fingertips and into the sigil. 

Once my fingers come in contact with the sigil itself, it glows brighter and burns away at once, leaving only a burnt mark on the giant's skin. 

"This one has it too." Wilbur says. We all turn to the other giant, who has the same mark on the side of its neck. 

Before we can even come close, it burns away on its own. We turn to see as a little bit of smoke comes from each goblin on the ground, a certain part of their body left with the same burn marks. 

"I've never seen that before." Gwen says, almost in a whisper. 

"There have been reports of a mysterious sigil on monsters in the area and how they disappear just like this once the monster dies." Ser Elwood tells us. 

This worries me. A sigil like this on so many monsters can only mean that the rumors must be true. A sorcerer must be leading them and marking them with his magic. 

"We must head back. Goblins can smell the blood of their own. Groups might arrive in a matter of time." Ser Elwood tells us. 

We all agree and start heading back into the Kingdom. I control the fog so that it still protects us, but also so that we can still see ahead. 

"Your magic is truly remarkable, Your Highness." Ulysses, the youngest of all of Elwood's soldiers says as we walk back. The others do not say anything.

I manage a small smile, as I think back to earlier, when my wind slashed a goblin's body in half. I've never known I could do that until today. I've never been in a situation where I was so desperate to save myself. 

The rest of our walk back to the gates was quiet, as we traverse through the forest much faster than when we had entered, with Ser Elwood leading the way back.

Once we get back, Ser Elwood leaves to report to Ser Remnand. Gwen and I head to our quarters. I get fresh garments and head for the baths immediately. 

If there's one smell I hate most in this world, it's the smell of blood. As there isn't much women around here, the baths for women is often empty. 

I enjoy a warm bath for a while and scrub the day's hard work off my body. I change into clean clothing and head back to the quarters to drop off my soiled garments, only to find no one in there. Gwen must have head off somewhere. 

I leave the quarters only to find a gloomy sky instead of an orange one, brought by the setting sun. I sigh, wanting something beautiful to cap off this day. I slightly lift my right hand, willing for the clouds to sweep away. 

I watch as the sky is painted with a beautiful shade of orange. I look back ahead, as I have to start walking to the training grounds to see if Gwen is there. 

Instead, I'm stopped in my tracks as I see Ser Elwood walking towards me, looking like he had just come out from the command room. 

"I believe I owe you my thanks, Your Highness." He tells me as he stops just in front of me. 

I raise one eyebrow as I cross my arms around my chest. 

"It is the first time you've ever addressed me without mocking me." I tell him. 

"Well, it is the first time a member of the royal family has ever done anything for me." He replies. I stare at him in confusion.

"My brother, Prince Atticus, knighted you." I remind him. 

"He only gave me what's supposed to be mine. I worked hard, it was only right for him to knight me. Besides, knighted or not, I am still a skilled fighter." He replies, rather smugly. 

I scoff at his entitlement. Skilled fighter or not, he would not have his own men if it were not for the title. 

"Why do you despise the nobles so?" I ask him. 

"With all due respect, Princess Calysta. I do not despise the nobles, I despise the Royal Family." He replies. 

I am taken aback by this, as if he had said this rather publicly, people would rally that the Royal Family have him punished. 

My family members generally would not care, should anyone utter these remarks. We are all lacking in some way. However, should these remarks be uttered when there is an audience, we would have no choice. 

Before I could say anything, we both turn when someone calls to Ser Elwood. 

"Gabriel!" It was Randall, approaching us. He calls his commander by his first name?

Randall looks to be in shock when he spots me, as he quickly bows, "Your Highness." He says with his head still bowed. 

"We have business to tend to. We shall take our leave." Ser Elwood says as he starts walking away, Randall quickly following behind. 

I watch both men walking away into the road that leads to the tavern. Some business, huh?