It was Ice. She was running toward Mike, injured.
"M Mike, Mike!"
She fell into his arms and Mike looked at her. It was really Ice. Her beautiful white hair was still there, even after all those wounds.
"I I Ice, what happened?"
"The knights suddenly attacked me. You were not even back yet. What happened to you?"
"They attacked me too, those miserable..."
Mike stopped and glanced at the child. Or was she a child He decided not to use any bad words.
"Well, the knights attacked me and trapped me in a cave. I was so scared for you, Ice."
"I was scared for you too."
They hugged each other, then the child cut in.
"Where are those stupid knights?"
A voice sounded behind the warrior, and suddenly a sword burst out of the warrior's chest.
"Stupid knights No no, please, we are not that stupid."
"Papa!"
The sword was pulled out again and the warrior collapsed, badly wounded but not dead yet.
Mike saw the golden bastard and whispered,
"Shit, I am going to kill him for real."
Mike dashed forward, and the golden knight only grinned. Then he split into five.
"They may just be knights, but each one has power that far exceeds yours, and there are five of us. So you are really do..."
The mage girl fired thunderous bolts of lightning at the golden knight. Two of the knights threw themselves in front of him and died instantly.
Mike thought about the immense power that girl had.
"You you idiots."
She kept firing lightning at the knights, but they were able to block them now since the attacks were no longer unexpected.
Mike used the chance while the knights were focused on deflecting the lightning. He rushed in and tore off their heads. With the dagger he stabbed into them again and again, and with a well placed kick he sent the golden knight flying. The kick actually sent him much farther than Mike had thought; he slammed into a gigantic tree.
Why did that kick hit him so hard
Mike ran it through in his head and came to a conclusion, then shouted,
"When he splits, he gets weaker. Shoot him."
The girl overexerted herself, and after a few more quick lightning bolts she collapsed.
The golden knight laughed.
"Well, that is true. But what if I do not split How strong am I then?"
Mike knew very well how strong he could be, but he had no other choice. He stepped in front of him and slashed straight at his chest with the dagger.
As expected, the golden knight darted past Mike in an instant. But he rushed by without even touching him.
Why
No.
"Ice, look out."
The golden knight was aiming his fist straight at Ice. That would pierce her.
No.
But suddenly a greatsword came down from above and hit the golden knight in the middle. Brutally, he was cut in two halves just before he could strike Ice. It was the warrior who had killed the golden knight.
Even Mike was shocked, though it was probably luck or something like that.
"So, uh, is everything all right with you?" the warrior asked the group.
They all nodded.
Mike supported the warrior and helped him sit down against a tree.
"Good. Rest for now. I will go to Ice and, uh, Trix, right?"
"Yes, Trix. My name is Ryolos."
"Mike," Mike answered quickly, then turned away.
He looked into Ice's eyes and slowly saw how shaken they were. Ice really had been scared the entire time.
(How can I calm her down?)
Mike thought for a moment, then decided to look for a flower for her.
It took him barely two seconds to find one, a white flower. He quickly picked it and went back to Ice.
"Ice, it is all right. I, uh, I have something here."
Mike held out the flower, and Ice's pupils widened. She answered shyly,
"Th thank you, M Mike."
She hugged him and accepted the gift. Mike was happy that she seemed a bit better again, although it was still disappointing that he had not found a blacksmith yet.
Mike sat down next to Ryolos.
"Well, we should make a fire," Ryolos suggested.
But Mike shook his head.
"No, we cannot. It would attract too many creatures."
Ryolos pointed at the trembling Trix. Mike already felt sorry and thought it over again. Then an answer shot into his mind.
"The cave."
Mike walked back to the cave with Trix, Ice, and the injured warrior. They still remembered the way a little, and soon they were there.
"We will make a fire and a small camp in the cave," Mike said.
A little later they put the plan into action. A fire burned, and everyone sat around it. Mike sat next to Ice, Trix next to Ryolos. His wounds were slowly healing, and so were Ice's.
Ice had already offered several times to heal Ryolos's wounds, but he kept saying it would be fine. Whether he was embarrassed or it was something else, Mike and Ice did not know.
After a while Trix broke the quiet of the cave.
"I am going to sleep. Thanks for the fire."
She laid her head in her father's lap and fell asleep. Ryolos smiled.
"I love her so much. Sadly, she lost her mother a little over two months ago. I want to support her as much as I can."
Mike and Ice closed their eyes for a moment to show their sympathy.
"Well then, I will sleep too," Ryolos said, closed his eyes, and fell asleep a few seconds later.
Now Mike and Ice were the only ones still awake. Mike wanted to start a conversation, but Ice spoke first.
"So, Mike, what is your plan?"
Mike answered right away.
"Sleep. You?"
Ice laughed quietly.
"No, not now. I mean tomorrow, and the days after."
"Hm, I do not know. Probably look for a village, or go a bit deeper into the jungle."
Ice nodded.
"That is good, Mike. Then I will go to sleep now."
Ice leaned her head against the stone wall and fell asleep.
When Mike also wanted to sleep, his dagger began to glow a dark white.
"What?"
But it stopped again.
"What was that?"
Mike had no idea what it was or what it had done. After a few more minutes nothing happened, so Mike decided to sleep.
(5 hours)