Tears of Souls: Lament at Midnight

Chapter 5

It all happened in a flash.

In that moment, time seemed to slow down for Candace.

The bearded guard, who had been boasting about his daughters just moments ago, tumbled from his horse, the startled animal rearing back in panic.

The wagon lurched violently before coming to a stop.

Thankfully, Candace had a firm grip on the railing, or she would have been thrown off.

Her suitcase wasn't so lucky. It went flying, bouncing along the muddy road before landing with a thud.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

*Shrill whistling*

Candace couldn't be sure if it was her imagination, but she could have sworn she heard sharp whistles mixed in with the chaotic shouts.

Before she could retrieve her suitcase, a volley of arrows came raining down from the surrounding trees. Some struck their targets, men and horses alike, adding to the pandemonium.

Candace reacted instinctively, scrambling off the wagon and taking cover underneath.

As she huddled on the ground, a phrase she had heard countless times throughout her life echoed in her mind:

"The outside world is dangerous."

No kidding! They had only been out of the city for two hours!

Candace gripped her staff tightly, her heart pounding in her chest.

A group of assailants emerged from the trees, engaging the caravan guards in a fierce battle.

Despite the arrow wound in his shoulder, the bearded guard struggled to his feet and joined the fray.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Candace used her staff to hook her suitcase, dragging it towards her. It contained her alchemy equipment, basic medical supplies, and various alchemical ingredients.

Some of those ingredients were quite dangerous, she couldn't let them fall into the wrong hands.

Fortunately, while the attackers had the element of surprise, the caravan guards were no pushovers.

After the initial shock, they regrouped and fought back with a vengeance.

Candace finally managed to retrieve her suitcase, dragging it and herself further under the wagon to check if the glass vials inside were intact.

The damp earth clung to her clothes, staining them with mud.

Candace winced internally. She had only packed one change of clothes to save space, and now she had to waste it on the first day...

*Clang!*

A deafening crash resonated through the air as something collided with the side of the wagon, falling to the ground with a thud.

It was a longsword.

Candace followed the trajectory of the fallen weapon and saw the bearded guard lying on the ground, his body battered and still.

Standing over him, a hulking figure raised a warhammer high above his head, aiming for the killing blow.

Candace's breath caught in her throat.

"Hahaha, you're a bit younger than my eldest, she's twenty-one this year."

"Eileen married a man from a village quite far from here, so it's not easy to visit her often. But she writes us letters every festival, she's a good girl."

"She gave birth to a son last year, my wife stayed with them for almost half a year... It's a shame I'm always away, I haven't even held my grandson yet..."

Her body moved before she could even register what she was doing.

Candace grabbed a small vial from her suitcase and charged out from under the wagon.

The attacker, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a slender young woman, instinctively raised his hammer to block her attack.

Candace darted in front of the fallen guard, uncorking the vial and flinging its contents at the man's face without hesitation.

But the man's hammer was faster.

As she flung the liquid, the heavy warhammer swung down towards her head.

*c***k!*

A sound like shattering glass echoed between them.

Just as the hammer was about to connect, a transparent, dome-shaped barrier enveloped Candace, deflecting the blow. The barrier then shattered into a million pieces, dissipating into thin air.

The three-leaf clover necklace around Candace's neck swung wildly, one of the gemstones emitting a blinding flash before it, too, shattered.

"Aaaaaaaaaargh!"

The man clutched his face, screaming in agony as he clawed at his skin.

The liquid, a potent acid, ate away at his flesh, sizzling and smoking as it dripped onto his armor, burning small holes through the leather.

With an arrow still embedded in his shoulder, the bearded guard was in no condition to move. Candace grabbed him and, with a strength she didn't know she possessed, dragged him towards the relative safety of the wagon.

However, the unconscious guard was dead weight.

After struggling for what felt like an eternity, she managed to move him half a meter before collapsing on top of him, exhausted.

Meanwhile, the attacker, his face burning from the acid, went berserk.

He swung his hammer wildly, attacking anyone and anything within reach.

Candace cursed under her breath. In her haste, her aim had been off.

She glanced at her necklace, now useless with only one charge left, and then at the dagger at her waist. Finally, her gaze settled on the fallen guard's longsword.

It was heavier than she was used to, but she only had one shot at this.

She had to time it perfectly. When her necklace activated its defensive barrier and deflected the hammer blow, she would have a split second to disable the attacker.

His armor, while crude, offered adequate protection.

Attacking his torso was out of the question, she wasn't strong enough to pierce through both armor and flesh.

His wrists, shins, and knees were also protected. That left his arms and thighs. But even if she managed to wound him, it might not be enough to stop him completely.

There was only one option left.

Candace's palms were slick with sweat as she locked eyes with the attacker, her gaze fixed on his neck.

Just as the warhammer was about to connect, a thunderous sound of approaching hooves reached their ears.

A flash of white, and a silver dagger found its mark, burying itself deep in the attacker's throat.

The warhammer clattered to the ground, shaking the very earth beneath Candace's feet.

A moment later, a magnificent black horse reared up in front of them.

Candace watched in stunned silence as the horse delivered a final, crushing blow to the attacker's chest with its hooves.

All eyes, both from the caravan guards and the remaining attackers, turned towards the newcomer.

The young man with golden hair, seated astride the horse, held a sword in one hand and the reins in the other. Without hesitation, he joined the fray on the side of the caravan guards.

As he rode past, Candace could have sworn he winked at her.

She shook her head, dismissing it as a trick of her imagination, and retrieved her suitcase from under the wagon.

As she stood up, she glanced towards the front of the caravan.

As she had suspected, the luxurious four-wheeled carriage was completely unscathed. However, the guards surrounding it were all unfamiliar faces.

They wore matching uniforms, clearly not mercenaries hired for a single job, but the private army of a wealthy family.

Candace's heart skipped a beat, but she couldn't afford to dwell on it. She rummaged through her suitcase for her medical supplies, quickly tending to the bearded guard's wounds.

The attack on the rear of the caravan had been a diversion, a delaying tactic.

Their true target had been the carriage all along.

The golden-haired swordsman who had intervened was clearly a skilled fighter. He used his horse's speed and agility to disrupt the attackers' formation, picking them off one by one.

With the tide turning against them, the remaining attackers scattered, melting back into the forest.

Candace, having no desire to involve herself in the fight any further, gathered her belongings and began tending to the wounded guards.

The golden-haired swordsman, having successfully routed the attackers, retreated to the sidelines.

He had not been paid to risk his life for this caravan, nor was he some noble hero seeking justice.

He parried a few half-hearted attacks from the remaining stragglers, his gaze never leaving Candace.

The swordsman's name was Aber, and despite his youthful appearance, he was already a seasoned adventurer.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his newly acquired charge would almost get herself killed while he was simply packing his belongings.

His aunt's words echoed in his ears, sending chills down his spine. He had broken out in a cold sweat when he had seen that brute raising his hammer to strike Candace.

Thankfully, he had arrived just in time, and his dagger throw had been accurate.

Surely, she must be impressed by his heroic entrance!

Aber smirked to himself, his confidence soaring.

He would never have accepted this assignment if it had come from anyone else.

Escorting a sheltered, inexperienced young woman to the dangerous North was asking for trouble.

But unfortunately, the client was his aunt, the woman who had practically raised him...

The mere thought of Vina's parting words was enough to give him a headache.

"Candace is a bit of an introvert... but she's kind, hardworking, and the top student in her class. Everyone adores her." Vina had tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, except for those ill-mannered swine who wouldn't recognize a decent human being if it hit them in the face."

Aber: "..."

His aunt's talent for insults had certainly improved with age.

"So, she's really that sheltered?" Aber had groaned. "What was she thinking? Going to the North without even hiring a single guard?"

He had a particular disdain for reckless novices who charged headfirst into danger without a second thought. Such people rarely survived their first year as adventurers.

And this one was a young woman, younger than him, who sounded like a delicate flower. He couldn't exactly resort to violence to get his point across...

This was going to be a long and arduous journey.

Vina had fixed him with a withering stare. "Because she's poor."

Aber: "..."

Vina had flipped her hair over her shoulder. "That's why I'm hiring you."

Aber: "..."

"Oh, and one more thing. You can't tell her I hired you." Vina had warned. "She's stubborn to a fault. If she finds out you're here because of me, she'll work herself to the bone to pay me back."

Aber, the perpetually broke adventurer: "...That's a shame."

He wished he had friends like that. The money he lent out rarely ever returned.

Vina had glared at him. "Do I look like I need her money? Don't insult me!"

Aber had bowed his head obediently. "Yes, milady. As you wish, milady."

"Don't you dare patronize me." Vina's eyes had narrowed. "Candace might be too kind to hold it against you, but if you ever try to take advantage of her..."

She had made a throat-slitting gesture. "You'll have me to answer to."

Remembering that chilling promise, Aber shuddered.

He decided to check on his charge, just to make sure she hadn't been injured. If anything happened to her, his aunt would have his head.

And as if summoned by his thoughts, trouble found Candace.

As she was bandaging a wounded guard, a figure in grey robes rose from a pool of blood, his left arm wrapping around her neck like a vice. He held a dagger to her throat, shouting, "Nobody move! Or the girl gets it... Aaaaaargh!"

His threat turned into a scream as his arm was sliced open.

Aber, seated on his horse, had a clear view of the scene unfolding below.

The kind, gentle, sheltered young woman had reacted with surprising ferocity.

She had grabbed the attacker's arm and, with a swift, precise movement, sliced through his flesh as if she were carving a roast. Freed from his grasp, she had then struck his elbow, severing tendons and sending him crumpling to the ground, his grip on the dagger loosening.

But she wasn't done yet. With a chilling lack of emotion, she pressed the dagger to his throat.

The attacker, instinctively trying to protect himself, lowered his head.

Candace, anticipating his move, swiped downwards, her knee connecting with his groin with a sickening thud.

Aber: Holy s**t!

So much for the sweet, innocent little flower! Was it too late to back out of this job?