Glorious Fantasy Ch.13: A Bet

I could hear the growl of distant beast, I could hear a march so powerful that I could feel it through the tree we were standing on, a rain of leaves around us, and Ellie wouldn’t put me down. She was squeezing me to her chest, which would have been endearing if she wasn’t a seven foot tall werewolf with boobs of steel. Sadly my flailing around was not getting me any leeway as she jumped along with Lore to another tree.

Okay, my squealing bullet plan might have drawn these things in, even if that’s not the case, loud noises are only good for a distraction, not as my main weapon.

But why did it let out that noise when I fired it? Arrows don’t scream when you fire them, bullets make a noise but that’s just because of the explosion. Mana propulsion seems pretty silent to me if that air hammer of mine is anything to go by. How stable are the shapes I make anyway? If they only kept the vaguest shape, I could imagine a pipe forming from a bullet shape, which would explain how it would make noise, but the more even area hammer shape would still resemble a circle when it hits the target.

Maybe I could try a smaller shape, like, a needle?

But a needle would be pretty useless against a giant kitten of doom.

Can magic make explosions?

Bombs are just expanding gas with a lot of fire and shrapnel mixed in after all. Why not made a air explosion with a needle?

While I was distracted, two more mad cats entered my view, the more hyper of the two slamming its head right into our tree while the other just stared at us.

“Ellie, can you set me down?” I flail a bit in her embrace, muffled from all of her thick chest fur.

“I can’t milady.”

“I have a new spell idea, let me try while we still have some time.” I tried to sound imposing and determined in that little girl voice of mine, but I’m pretty sure it just sounded like the ramblings of a naive child. Thinking I could solve everything with a minor magic trick.

“Give her a chance.” Lore added on. Support is best.

“...Very well.” Ellie grumbled, freeing me from her arms. I looked down at the two cats, one already dead from bashing its head into the tree. Horrifying, but being chased by a stampede really numbs the sense of tragedy dead mad cats gave me, fast.

Compress the air into a needle, aim, and-

Thump.

“...Ellie can you aim my hand for me.”

“As you wish, milady.”

Try number two, air is already compressed, Ellie lifted my surprisingly heavy arm, and aims it at the mad cat, and “Air Needle.”

Bang!

“Ek!” I yelp, my arm flew back like it wanted nothing to do with that needle, and it was planning to drag me away with it. Ellie was so surprised by the sudden weight shift that she almost missed me as I started flying back. I don’t blame her because my amazing flight wasn't the most exciting thing going on.

I won’t say the spell surprised me; I knew what might happen. But I didn’t expect it to be so effective. The mad cat that had been staring at us like it was planning something was slumped over, with its face missing and its skull caved in. The air from the explosion cleaned out the blood so well that most of the destroyed skull was white.

Oh, I almost puked on Ellie.

“Any other spells you’re holding out on us dear?” Lore said after a few seconds of processing the scene.

I thought I was over this whole death thing! I know Ellie said I shouldn’t, but that would be really useful right now.

“One more,” I gasp like I am out of breath, not because the spell was tiring; but because I was trying to hide my gagging. Three more mad cats rush over to us, slamming their faced into the tree. I figured it was time to try the needle gun idea I saw in a video game, when five more showed up, then ten, then twenty. “Please carry me.”

Grabbing me by the waist Ellie jumped to the next tree, and then the one after that, bouncing from tree to tree with Lore stumbling behind, just barely keeping up. I’d be amazed by their gymnastic ability, but I am currently holding back the scene of a exploded kitten face.

Gah.

“Turn me around.” I shout to Ellie.

“If you’re sure, milady.” Ah! she’s more confident in me now. “If you break your arm, I will be sure to find you a healer as soon as possible.”

So much trust. No, I have a new idea, when making that super needle I realized I can make more than one. The explosion was wonderfully dramatic, but if I can’t aim it’s useless, as useless as a single needle.

But what if it isn’t just one?

I will another needle into existence, and then another, and then another, until my arm started sagging under their weight. I willed energy into my voice as I said. “Needle gun” A wave of needles fired behind me, skewering the arm of kittens. Killing quite a few in just that one shot, and I could fire a heck of a lot more.

“Impressive milady!” Ellie locked back, doing that I can only assume is a wolfish grin.

I couldn’t help but grin alongside her. But then she stopped, grabbing Lore before she could pass, almost strangling her with the collar of her leather armor.

“What's the matter?” Lore groaned, adjusting her clothes.

“We’re surrounded.”

“What?” I squeak. I refocus my eyes and notice the mad cats behind us actually stopped chasing.

“What’s going on?” Lore almost yelled. “I’ve never heard of something like this. Mad cats don’t act like this.”

“That’s because of our king invitation.” A new voice said, a faint growl within. Two half dressed humans walked closer. Twins, a boy and a girl so similar that I could only tell the difference because one of them was wearing the equivalent of a skirt, and chest covering wrap out of animal fur, while the other wasn’t covering his chest. Feline based Verse maybe? Super powered mad cats? I may have skimmed over the lore information a bit.

“Why?” Ellie growled.

“My brother spotted a beauty he wished to have. Give over the mage and we will let your little party go.” The girl said, her voice was harsh, while still feminine, I’ll admit it’s a lot more manly than my old voice was.

“What? You can’t expect us to-” Lore started shouting, which was quickly cut off by me. While I’m flattered by the care, we’re not in the best position to yell.

“Why would you want me?”

“I saw you’re visage when your owner first came. A radiant being such as you fits my hands better than the humans.” The brother of the pair said, painfully elegant words flowing through his mouth like gravel. I don’t like it!

“I’m not a slave.” Is all I can force out.

“Oh? That’s surprising. Have the humans changed their minds about you half bloods then?”

“I’m not a half blood anything.” I try to lie.

“If you wanted to hide that, you shouldn’t admit your real name in our forest.” The sister of the pair said, tilting her head. Good point. “What do you think brother?”

“I still like her face, chained or not.” Charmer he is, I tried my best to give him my best death glare. Which would have worked a lot better if I actually knew what that looked like. Maybe if my face looks weird enough we can leave.

“Yes, she’s much more pleasing than your usual picks.”

“Can I say no?” I force myself to say, looking over at a incredibly enraged Ellie. I’m pretty sure the only reason she hadn't charged and tried to murder them all bare handed is she is waiting to see what I’ll do.

“You already had your chance, you were weaker than us, so you must submit.” The brother said, smiling at me. I don’t think a smile ever felt dirty before to me.

“I don’t think it's very fair to win a fight a small group with a army.” Idea, maybe I could get him into demanding a duel. Those are always cool, and done to claim things and people.

“Nothing in the world is fair.” His sister replied.

“Well I’ll never agree if you can’t prove how powerful you are personally.” I force out as confidently as possible.

“We have plenty of ways of beating you into submission,” The sister says. This is a bad direction. “Everyone breaks.”

“But wouldn’t it be more exciting to prove how strong you are? I might even fall for you, you know.”

Gag.

“Then you wish to fight me?”

“No, no, no! I would never,” I’m too weak “I’m the prize after all. So instead…” I point behind me. “Ellie here will be my representative.” I looked back to see a very surprised wolf face. I didn’t know those existed.

“You plan to offer yourself to a female slave?” The brother looked at me in confusion.

What’d you say?

“It is my honor to fight for milady.” Ellie growled out, walking forward before I can explain. Wait! I didn’t mean it that way.