A World With/Out Home

Chapter 8: A Midnight Escape before the Dawn. (Part 2)

Kyle took a step towards her but in the next moment an explosion shot from the far end detonating against her. The sound and wind pushed him back as the shock spread through his system. The swath of smoke quickly faded to reveal Lillia elsewhere as she somehow avoided the blow.

"Faster!" the yell called and another explosion triggered. Kyle could barely watch as again and again an intense barrage of eruptions collided against Lillia's armour. With each passing second her movements seemed to slow bit by bit causing her to take on more and more damage. Finally her legs buckled and instead of dodging the detonation hit her head on and threw her to the ground. The assault didn't end as another fired soon after causing her to roll across the firm ground like an armoured doll.

"Stop!" Kyle screamed and dropped his basket charging towards the end of the room where the fire had come from. "Hey can't you see she's tired!" He didn't know where the gusto was coming from but without warning he had charged at the muscle bound man calling the shots.

Valandus who had been behind him was too late and instead looked around quickly, "Just where is the Captain when you need him?"

The man was shorter than Bethial but had muscle to match, toned dark shade from long hours spent beneath the sun. With his head shaved bold and a domineering moustache, just his face would intimidate even veteran members of the Hero's Guard.

"Hey I'm talking to you!" Kyle stomped in front of him, blocking Lillia who was still trying to pick herself up. "I don't care if you're training, this is too much!"

"Hmm, that face...." the man's voice came out course like gravel and dirt. "Get out of here before you get hurt."

"Not until you listen!" Kyle faced him undeterred running on his adrenaline. "Give Lillia a break."

"Lillia?" the man scoffed. "That is the Hero. A Hero shouldn't be fazed by something as simple as this."

"Hero? Simple? She's a girl you arse-hat!"

"Silence!" the man's expression crumpled in an anger that matched Kyles and without warning his arm swung. It was no simple swing and Kyle couldn't even react. To a normal member of the Hero's Guard it would mean a week in the infirmary, to Kyle it could even mean death. The sound of cracking thunder broke between them as Kyle flinched only to find a metal gauntlet holding back the larger man.

"Don't touch him," the voice that came out was male but clearly Lillia's. She had appeared almost from nowhere, crossing the distance in a split of a second.

"So you can move fast if you want to," the man's anger ebbed but his scowl still remained. "Maybe I should threaten him a bit more to see how you'll react." The Hero's armour seemed to react to his words and course with an electrifying charge.

"That's enough," Bethial's controlled voice came between them before things could escalate. "Pelmont I'd be careful to what you do with our guest unless you want Leela's ire as well as mine."

The man named Pelmont glared at Kyle and eased the tension in his muscles. He spat, "Become a little famous and suddenly walking around like you own the place." Lillia let go of his arm as he shook it. He faced Bethial, "This isn't over. The Hero is meant to be infallible. She's average at best and unless you want another useless death then we need to push her harder."

"Training is done for now," the Captain hardened his words.

"Have it your way but it's my men that will be on the firing line when it comes down to it," with that the man exited the room.

Once he was gone Lillia collapsed. Kyle's immediate reaction was to try catch her but the Captain pulled him away, if anything he'd be crushed by the falling mound of metal. She landed against the ground with a heavy thud, the electrifying presence she had been emitting earlier completely gone and instead the armour itself seemed to fall away. Piece by piece it broke from her body until only she remained lying in the pile of loose metal. Lillia's hair and skin were matted with sweat as she huffed tiredly. It was almost impossible to see the Hero who had been standing so gallantly before.

Bethial moved to her side and frowned, "He really did push her too hard this time."

"Will she be okay?" Kyle asked concerned, too afraid to come closer in case he made it worse.

"Her body is suffering from severe mana fluctuations but she'll be fine." He turned his head up and towards the back room, "Reina!"

The women appeared readily and marched towards them, "Yes sir?"

"Take Lillia and ease her body. Once she's in a stable state call us."

"Yes sir!" with surprising ease Reina picked up the girl and carried her away leaving the Captain, Valandus and Kyle outside.