The Dragon's Flame Queen

Chapter 6 - A bandit Attack

Chapter 6.

Upon the forest floor so woven with ancient tree roots came a light filtered by the bouquet of foliage above; softened, verdant and freshly aromatic.

The leaves danced to an unheard beat, whispering their songs to the wind. Here, sheltered by the mighty trees, was every kind of life, from the humble beetle to enchanting birds of every colour. Celia's brown eyes looked up to feel the cascading light, a brilliant white shaft illuminating the path that took her and her princess onward to their destination. The Dragon Kingdom.

The fearful lineage who were ruling the sky but then they wanted the land. War began between humans and the sky reptiles. Being weak in natural ability, humans lost. A great percentage of humans sacrificed themselves in the war that was nothing but a bloodbath for the dragons. The wizards had a war with the dragons as well and had ended up with the same result as the humans, but since they had the power of magic they had stood in number and power. But then the Magic Council after watching the casualties intervened and stopped the war somehow with the help of negotiations. But the end of the war didn't stop the feeling of hostility between the wizards and dragons.

Celia's gaze moved to the bridal carriage and her heart filled with grief. Their king had sacrificed her daughter to protect them. The alliance would protect them from the wrath of the Dragons while keeping the wizards away from their territory.

It had been three days that they were travelling through the large wilderness that connected the human territory with the dragons. Shadow Forest route also was crossroad that intervened the Fireborn and the Wayerborn wizards. It was dangerous route but also the shortest one.

Celia took a glance at the sky, an unsettling feeling stirred inside her belly. The wind wasn't blowing, not even the birds were chirping. As if everyone had been cautious even to breathe. An unusual silence thickened them in its duvet as if it hummed a deadly lullaby.

"We are on the right path, aren't we?" She asked one of the guards, her eyes following every direction of the forest with caution.

"Of course, this is the shortest route where we can enter the city, Dragon Landing in three days." The guard replied, however, his voice seemed sceptical but he too was aware of the strange calmness.

"We will be entering the Dragon Kingdom in a few hours." He assured her but it sounded as if he said it more to himself.

She had heard the prince was brutal, merciless and would not hesitate to kill. After all, he was a dragon.

She looked at the bridal carriage in front of her. Princess Naomi Campbell was in there, frightened and helpless. She swore she would do everything in her power to protect her. Even if she had no knowledge of fighting but she would do everything in her power to protect her. Princess Naomi was the kindest princess she had ever met.

They all stopped abruptly when one of the soldiers said, "The Bandits!"

"What? But why? Weren't we on the shortest route?" She asked, her heart thundering against her ribcage.

"We were but this route has bandits." Another one said and Celia glared at him. How could they be so careless? They were taking Princess Naomi to Dragon Landing and if she won't reach there it could be severe for the human kingdom.

Before them stood a few men in leather boots and dark coloured clothing. A woman in light brown skin came in front of them, a sword hanging against her leather belt. The human kingdom never taught their women to fight that only meant they were wizards!

A carriage came to a halt behind them exactly the same as the one they had.

Celia's mind formed various notions. Why did they have the same exact carriage?

Had they been aware of the alliance between humans and dragons? Maybe that was the reason they came.

Out of all the bandits, they had to run into one with wizards!

****

Sera shifted in her seat rather uncomfortably. The wedding gown was heavy and the ornaments were annoying her as if those were insects crawling on her skin. She wanted to put them off but that would be an insult to their Guild.

Who cared about the Guild! When her father wanted to get rid of her. Sera's eyes filled with tears and her lips quivered. She wanted to stop the sniffs that threatened to come but couldn't as her mind played a sick game of memories.

She remembered the time when she first manipulated her flames. It was hard but it was fun. She wanted to show it to her father, probably expecting to see a proud face instead he went on a quest and returned after a few months.

The time when she was finally able to go to her first mission she could never miss the glint on her father's hard face. His eyes said it all and she was over the moon with joy. They never got along but secretly she knew her father wanted her wellbeing. But that wasn't she would have to go away from the guild.

More tears ran out and it was probably more painful than the last time she broke her hand. Her father was offended at how much she destroyed the building of a client, but after that, he always said to take good care of herself.

But because her powers were destructive that didn't mean he had to put a curse on it. Anger rolled off from her body and she tried to call her flames. But it won't come out. From last night, she tried and tried but each time with a failure. She wanted to growl and put all of her anger but she couldn't. As if with the fire her wrath subsided in herself.

The carriage stopped abruptly followed by shouting. It gave a halt to her unbearable memories and anger.

They were travelling for a few hours, must have been crossed Hollowrock's borders and reached at the end of the fire nation. Why did they stop?

Sera's ears perked up as Merlene shouted at their guildmates as if she was leading them to fight.

"Protect the carriage!" It wasn't Merlene's voice but some deep masculine voice coming from outside. The voice coated with fear and hesitation made Sera a bit restless.

Sera didn't want to move from her seat. It was so unlikely of her not to put her nose into it. However, she felt weak and unstable. Moreover, sadness etched in her heart. She didn't want to get into a fight.

Some shouted, "Wizards! They are wizards!"

Who were they, humans? What were they doing near the fire nation? What Sera knew humans never strolled near wizard lands. They bore deep hatred for them.

Swords clashed and some of them shouted something but Sera could not comprehend what it was.

Sera felt the intense force of natural energy. It was Merlene's powers. Whenever she unleashed her fire with a protective barrier it felt as if the world turned smaller. Her curiosity spiked at this and she was about to open the door, however, the carriage shook again.

Merlene roared, "May I ask the reason for your attack?"

Ri could not hear what the attacker replied but her friend had gone into an argument. In a short moment, the other guildmates joined them as well.

She wanted to take a glance about what was happening but then the carriage shook as if someone was trying to break it. She held the wooden ride tightly as if it held her life. The carriage was going to turn over as she felt a chill. It wasn't Merlene's powers. It was someone else.

"What the hell is going on?" She shouted as she heard Merlene growling.

Merlene stepped inside and said, "Stay here. Don't try to involve yourself in the fighting."

"What is happening?"

"The human attacked us thinking we were bandits and turned out the real bandits came."

"Shall I—"

"No! You will stay here. I don't want you to ruin your makeup since how much trouble I went through it."

Sera narrowed her eyes at her. Out of all things, she had pointed out a trivial matter. Sera didn't care about the paints on her face. It will be washed out after they reach the guild.

***

Merlene took a look at the humans with spears, forks and swords. They were frightened.

At a slow pace, a carriage arrived behind them and Merlene inspected it carefully, it was a bridal carriage with a protective barrier of mortals. Some of the soldiers surrounded it as their cautious eyes stayed at them. She resisted a scoff as if they could protect it from her magic. However, she didn't want to cause any harm to them as it could result in making them delay reaching Oracle Hearts.

A few shoulders formed a line barrier before their path. Their eyes showed the determination behind them, they were serious about protecting whoever was in the ride.

They charged without a warning and their swords clashed against the swords of the Water wizards.

It riled up the members of Water Guild as a few of them prepared to cast a spell, however, Merlene took charge and went before them saying, "Wait! We can not indulge in a battle with humans."

"And why is that?" One of them asked.

"They are simply soldiers who were carrying the bride." She pointed at their carriage that looked exactly identical to their carriage.

"Well, they have started it. We can't hold back." Another one said his face bore a devious grin. She could sense the fear in the air. The humans were scared but they had a responsibility to protect it.

Merlene unleashed her fires and created a barrier out of it. A translucent fire barrier appeared before them separating the humans from the water wizards. The absolute fire barrier she could create. As she was a high tier wizard, she had learned to control her powers and create a defensive barrier.

"May I ask the reason for your attack?" She shouted.

One of the soldiers shouted back, "Now bandits are asking reasons, eh?"

Bandits?!

This route certainly had bandits but she was sure the fire guilds had dealt with most of them.

"We are no bandits! We are simply taking the bride to our destination."

"We know you, wizards! You were here with the same carriage to create a ruckus with our mission."

Mission? What mission?

"We have no ill intention towards your mission, kindly refrain from your attacks and let all of us accomplish our duties." She tried to reason with them but damn humans every time they assume wizards had to do every awful thing with them. Yes, at first, many wizards had done so but now was not the case. Their master never ordered them to do any harm to them. Besides, not every wizard was out there to harm them without any reason.

Merlene's knuckles turned white as it was delaying them. She didn't want to get into trouble when it involved Seraphina. She didn't have the power but was still able to make them taste the ground.

She remembered what had Master Jord said, at any cost, Seraphina was not to get into trouble.

Before she could argue further with them she felt powers surging from around the forest. The water wizards must have felt it as their eyes looked around.

"Protect the carriage!" Merlene roared. She had a bad feeling about it.

With black clothing, a group of men surrounded all of them. They did not have any weapons and every one of them had a dark aura emitting from their ski. The atmosphere tensed up and the wizards, as well as the humans, eyed them cautiously. They were powerful.

"We got bigger fishes this time, eh?" The one with a red piece of cloth hanging from his neck said. His entire body was under the cloth but only his dark gaze remained focused on them with a strange glint in them. He must be the leader. Regardless of the fact that most of the bandits were captured, this route still found more of them.

A few men surged forward but clashed with the wizard carriage behind her. The carriage where her friend, Seraphina was, rocked against the magic the unknown bandits cast. It was about to turn over if not for Merlene's barrier.

Their magic had power through her barrier! One of the bandits did a movement in their hands and the barrier immediately broke. Damn them! How did they get into the barrier?

The water soldiers cast a spell that cut through the men however, they vanished in the air as if it was an image of them. Illusion magic?

She ran toward Seraphina and hopped inside noticing she was about to get out.

"What is happening?"

"Humans attacked us believing we were bandits and turned out the real one came."

"Shall I—"

"No!"

Sera didn't know how precious her powers were. The bandits seemed suspicious as they weren't attacking the humans instead of them. They weren't truly coming for the ornaments or valuable things, they must serve a different purpose.

"You don't have to indulge yourself in the fight. Besides, it took me much trouble to make you up!" She pouted as if she was really into preparing her.

She went outside and saw a few of them were already in a battle with other wizards. A few bandits arrived at the human carriage as well. They tried to cut through them with failed attempts as they kept vanishing into the air as soon as anyone managed to get a scratch.

It was illusion magic indeed. The spell caster stays behind while the image does all the works. Even if it could be cut through with weapons that won't harm the caster. It would only waste their energy and exhaust them on the process. She had fought one during her mission so without a delay, Merlene ran toward the forest.

"Where are you going?" One of the water wizards asked.

"To find the caster. Protect Seraphina."

By now, the bandits had surged to get both of the carriages and the men fought with them. They had forgotten they were fighting alongside.

Instead of decreasing in number, the bandits had risen by their numbers. The more they defeat the enemies, the more they keep appearing.

Merlene ran through the forest path, cracking twigs and dry leaves beneath her feet. The dark aura she was sensing was coming from somewhere near. She concentrated on it and went further and she was right.

At a furthest distance, five people stood wearing the same outfits. She could gather their images were being sent to the ground, not the actual body.

The leader laughed hysterically, "Well, well. Look who's here? Merlene, The Flame Guardian."

Merlene looked at them, gripping the sword in a tight hold. Apart from the leader the companions hadn't concealed their faces. There was one little girl with them but judging by her cold emotionless eyes, she could be dangerous.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"The Mischief Bandits. Well, you hadn't probably heard of us. But this route is great for hunting."

"So, you want gold, jewellery?"

"Ah! That would have been great but we are no longer in those businesses."

That made Merlene a little too uneasy. If they weren't for golds or goods then what was it they were after?

"What do you want?"

"Just wanted to meet the legendary Flame Guardian."

"That's not the only purpose I presume."

"Ah! You sure are the Guardian. But yes. You are right!" "Well, what we want is The Flame Queen."

Merlene's eyes widened. Then it struck her Mischief Bandits were the one who collected the rare powered wizards. Uniques. But they were supposed to be at the Mountain not here. Was Seraphina's rumours spread out over the other countries that it got the attention of the deadly bandits?

Five against one. Now that would be tough since she didn't know how their magic worked. One of them had the illusion magic.

Merlene's feet fired up with her power as she brought out her sword from its sheath, her experienced eyes carefully measured them as one of them, the little girl motioned her hands and a few soldiers appeared. It was her.

She dashed within a second and reached the little girl's back in a speed that no one's eyes could follow and slashed through her. However, the girl vanished in the air.

Shit! It was an illusion as well.

Before she could make a move her body stiffened as if someone had caught her in a chain. She couldn't even blink her eyes as the leader slowly reached her, his eyes showed a glint of mischief.

"Caught you!" "Now just have to lead you to undo your barrier so we can get that girl."

Merlene was at a great distance from the barrier but she could wield her protection however, it had been draining her powers at a great expense. She could not reach at her full potential without undoing the barrier. However, if she did, they would enter the perimeter and Lord knows what will happen.

It was a sharp-edged theory as Seraphina could beat them up even without her powers however, they had uniques in their group. That aside, Merlene didn't want Sera to get into fighting. It was her job to protect her at all cost.

She could not understand the power he held her with.

"My power is to restrict anyone with just my eyes." He said evilly. He sure had a great power.

The man took the sword from her hand and said, "Now, it's time to end the legendary Flame Guardian. Well, I didn't know you were this weak."

And he slashed.

However, before it could cut her, a blue light appeared just where the sword touched her skin. The light turned into a water blade and fell on the floor before blending with the soil.

The restrictions that were placed on Merlene broke as well. Her fists fired up with yellow-orange flames and she punched the man in front of her. He went flying backwards.

She looked back and saw one of the water wizards came following her. She noted to thank him later and focused on the enemies before her.

"What about the carriage?"She asked.

"Don't worry, others are capable of protecting it."The man said as his hands turned to water and he asked, "Who are they?"

"The misfit bandit!"

"The mischief bandit!"The leader hissed caressing the swell on his face.

"Yeah, whatever."

Merlene looked at them while her mind formed plans and she said to the water wizard, "Kai, was it? Take care of the two over there."

She could not get where the girl was but before her, the leader and a companion stood. The other person surged forward as she speeded up and landed a punch on him but turned out it was a soil replica of him. He didn't even move from his place.

She launched at him as the leader tried to work his magic on her again but this time she didn't look him into the eyes. Two things she caught that his powers won't work until the other person looks into his eyes and it has some limited time before it wears off.

She smirked as she launched on the soil wizard this time he created another replica however, she wasn't aiming for him. She aimed for the girl behind him, the illusion magic wizard. The startled and she wasn't the only one. Both the leader and the man startled as well and her fire-filled fist landed a solid punch on the girl. She wasn't the type who excelled in fighting that was the reason she hid behind one of her members. The girl's body flew and landed against a tree and finally went unconscious.

The leader swung her sword but Merlene took the chance and while avoiding a cut, her feet collided against the leader's face. He stumbled back as Merlene secured a place behind the soil caster. The replica he created was in front of him and Merlene's right hand went through his back as she expanded her fire. The man groaned with the touch but she caught hold of him and boosted her powers more thus, the man's body caught on the fire before making his soil replica melted and the man ran through the forest floor as he burned.

Merlene grinned but her eyes stayed on the leader's black hood careful not to see his eyes directly. She cracked her knuckles and said, "Now, it's your turn."

"How dare you!"He swung her sword at her and she carefully dodged it. The man went mad as two of his members were down.

Well, three as the water wizard, Kai had already handled one of them.

She recited a spell and a golden circle appeared around him. He struggled to go out but the runes glowed and the temperature in the circle increased. Fear crawled on his eyes and Merlene kept reciting the spell as the inside of the circle glowed finally, the man vanished from it and her sword fell on the ground with a thud.

She looked behind while taking her sword, the water wizard had finished the last one with his water slice.

"All done."

***

Back at where the Waterborn and the humans were fighting the bandits, Seraphina was getting uneasy just by sitting inside, she could hear the grunts, the sounds of swords clashing and explosions. It made her feel like she was completely incapable of anything, she tried to summon her flames but nothing happened and she sighed.

"Combat, Swordsmanship. You are one of the gifted fighters of Fireborns, Sera. Only magic doesn't define you." She suddenly remembered Merlene's words and frowned deeply looking down at her hands.

Seraphina resisted the urge to slap herself as she remembered just how many times she had defeated people without her flames. She smirked as she felt her old attitude returning.

"It's time, I decide what I do." She spoke as she stepped out of the carriage and looked at the commotion outside.

One of the bandits dressed in black attacked her out of nowhere and she sidestepped grabbing his wrist and twisted it hard enough to break it. He screamed and she took his sword and slashed through his abdomen. The feel of the sword in her hands felt nostalgic and so natural that she ventured out slashing through the bandits without any problems, they seemed weird but she had managed to defeat a good seven to eight of them without feeling that she lacked something.

"Hey, the bride is out!"

"What are you doing? Get back in the carriage we're trying to protect you here!" One of the Waterborn shouted and Seraphina tilted her head with a typical Flame Queen smirk.

"I didn't ask for protection from you. Flame Queen fight her battles on her own."

Before he could reply she got engaged in fight with another bandit, she found it strange that they kept coming again and again and disappeared like smoke after each s***h.

Seraphina was caught by a scream and she turned to see the another bride being dragged out of the carriage, she shouted and the girl accompanying her was trying to fight off the bandit. The human soldiers were busy fighting off the other bandits. Seraphina rushed towards them and slashed through the bandit and the brown haired girl glared at her. She was wearing a dark green robe with silver embroidery, the right side of her face was slightly covered by her shoulder length chocolate brown hair.

"It's dangerous stay back!" Seraphina shouted as another came up and they moved, this one was faster which made Seraphina take a few steps back but soon Seraphina overpowered. She moved from under his arm and slashed his abdomen. He disappeared.

She almost turned to see if the women were alright or not but another bandit appeared making her jump away before he could s***h through her. She glared at him before running right ahead, it was a little hard to fight in the ceremonial robes but somehow Seraphina had to manage.

The bandits were coming from all over and Seraphina looked at the two women, one of them was a bride just like her. But maybe she was going to a place where could get a lot of love and happiness. Seraphina walked over to her.

"Listen it's dangerous to stay out here. I'll take you back to your carriage." She said, the girl accompanying the bride still gave Seraphina an unsure look and suddenly her eyes widened.

Seraphina swung her blade and the attacking bandit disappeared behind her.

"Let's go." Seraphina insisted and gave the bride her hand. She hesitantly slipped her hand in hers and stood up, Seraphina looked around cautionsly before leading her to the carriage.

"Look out!' The brunette shouted and Seraphina narrowly avoided the attack aimed at her, she hurried the bride towards her carriage and all but shoved her in slamming the door shut. The brunette stood outside and Seraphina almost wondered if she was mad.

"Hide, I can't fight and protect you at the same time." She said slashing through another bandit.

"I won't hide. I had promised that I will protect the princess." She said determinedly and Seraphina almost smacked her forehead but the bandits continued coming. The brunette as promised stayed back but didn't give much trouble.

Suddenly the bandits started disappearing and the Waterborn and the human soldiers seemed confused. Seraphina sighed rolling her shoulders and turned to look at the girl who rushed over to talk to one of the soldiers. Seraphina sighed as she threw the sword and walked over and sat in another carriage, she slumped her shoulders feeling good about one thing that she wouldn't have to walk for the rest of the way.

She almost fell asleep when she heard a voice calling.

"Princess?"

She hummed and fell asleep.