Messenger From The Sky

Chapter Three: The Cryptess (Part II)

Soon they were back in the woods, following the single route of the path which ripped straight through the trees and the foliage. Erin looked up and saw that the skies were starting to cloud over, emitting a slight chill that pushed aside the feelings of summer.

The discontented scowl etched across her face broadened as she continued along her way, but with Casius by her side all she could think about was her embarrassing encounter with the woman back at Bayloch market.

"I was just wondering whether you and him are an item?"

Why had she made such an assumption so quickly? Erin looked over at Casius, who was walking alongside her, his gaze seemingly fixated on the collection of bags within his arms, and pondered on the subject of romance. Casius was a good-looking man. There was no doubt about it. But that wasn't what Erin was most interested in.

Money, looks, power....they did nothing for her. There was only one thing she desired in a man, although she still had yet to confirm whether or not Casius possessed it.

'May I ask a question?' The angel's voice broke out, interrupting her thoughts.

Erin quickly averted her gaze, choosing instead to gawk at the smooth dirt beneath her feet. 'S-sure,' she said. 'Go ahead...'

She closed her eyes and braced herself for whatever it was he about to ask. Having made a sexual reference to a complete and utter stranger, it was obvious Casius had no limits or restrictions when it came to everyday conversation. He was willing to ask whatever he wanted without having to endure the feelings of embarrassment that came with discussing such immoral topics.

'What is your occupation as a Mortal?'

Instant relief washed over the magus, whose eyes snapped open. 'Oh.' She looked up. 'My occupation?' Casius nodded and she shrugged. 'Well, I'm a magician,' Erin explained. 'A mage, to be precise. I originate from the Maelstras family, who are all renowned magicians and the holders of the most important title within the Serandore Kingdom.'

'Which is?'

'The Champion, the kingdom's sole protector.' A slight smile played on her lips. 'They watch over the kingdom and are responsible for protecting its people from harm.'

'Really?' The angel's eyes lit up with newly found curiosity. 'So, in a way, your family are similar the Archangels of the Divine Empire.'

'The Archangels? What do they do?'

'They're the Elders of Heaven who govern our world and enforce our laws,' Casius explained, donning a proud smile. 'Only one angel has ever dared cross them, though his existence reminds us of the Elders' authority and why we must respect them.'

Erin raised a questionable brow. One angel? she wondered. Who could that be? Her eyes widened somewhat when a particular name came to mind. Surely he's not referring to—

'Hold it right there!'

Her thoughts were halted by the spoken words, which she reluctantly obeyed. Coming to an abrupt halt, Erin looked ahead in time to witness four cloaked figures jump out from behind the brush, each brandishing their own kind of weapon. The magus' features darkened behind the hood of her own cloak and she straightened up.

Bandits.

Mere street bandits were easy to identify, with their tattered cloaks, matching face masks and dark, leather-based attires. Still, Erin had a reason to be cautious.

One of the bandits pushed past his comrades, forcing his way to the front. He was armed with what appeared to be a sabre, which he held up for her to see. The sun's rays caught against the curved blade, unveiling the fresh layer of polished steel. 'Alright,' he began, eyes narrowing in a look of mockery. 'Comply to our demands and we promise not to hurt you. Simple, right?'

'And what is it that you want?' Erin asked, her voice calm and steady.

'Whatever valuable goods you've got on you, darling.' The same bandit – who Erin assumed was the group's leader – spared a glance at his cronies, who offered a series of low, knowing chuckles.

She tensed at his particular choice of words and shook her head. 'Like hell I will!' she spat, ignoring the dramatic gasp Casius gave when she dared mention the H word again. 'I'm not going to simply yield and give whatever I've got to lowlife scum like you! You think that just because I'm a woman, I'm incapable of defending myself?'

The bandit leader sighed. 'Look, I haven't got all day, sweetheart. Now, you can either give us everything you've got – money, jewels, pearls, the lot – or we can strip-search you and get what we want through force. It's your choice.'

The very thought of being touched and manhandled by such scum caused a tense, cold shiver to run down her spine. Again, Erin shook her head, having already made the decision to stand her ground. 'Forget it,' she replied, bitterly. 'I'm not giving you anything. Now, I suggest you get lost before I turn nasty.'

'Hah!' The bandit leader and his cronies failed to suppress their laughter. 'Really? And what do you intend to do? Have your boyfriend rough us up?' He nodded in Casius' direction.

'B-boyfriend?' Erin's voice shook with a combination of fury and embarrassment. Her face flushed a deep maroon and she glanced round, exchanging looks with an unconcerned Casius. 'He's not my—'

Erin suddenly trailed off and stared ahead at the bandit clan whilst taking a moment to consider the situation at hand. The brief respite gave the fires burning within her cheeks enough time to disperse, after which she grinned and knelt down, setting her shopping bags against the floor. Then she rose, took a step forward and thrust out her hands, having decided on her next move.

On cue, a flurry of blue sparks materialised between her fingers, folding back to reveal a long metal staff, which she closed her fingers around.

The three bandits took a step back and lowered their weapons, although their leader courageously stood his ground.

'That's...' one of the bandits whispered.

'The Cryptess.' The bandit leader spoke the two words with a sense of satisfaction.

One of his cronies reached out, placing a hand against his shoulder. 'Boss, maybe we should just run,' he said. 'I don't fancy being beaten up by a woman. It goes against my pride, if you know what I mean.'

'Running would be going against our pride!' A vicious snarl escaped from between the lips of the bandit leader, who shrugged his comrade away. 'Come on, it's four of us against one of her! She's outnumbered!'

'But, boss—'

'Shut up! You can either run away like cowards or stay and fight like men! Your choice!'

'Well...'

'I don't really...'

'Do we have to...?'

Whilst the bandits continued to argue against their leader, Erin looked round at Casius, who was still clutching the bags to his chest. 'I need you to stay away from this,' she whispered. 'You're only going to get yourself hurt if you start spouting nonsense to these guys. Now, you stay back and let me deal with these arseholes, you hear me? Do not intervene.'

The angel appeared to hesitate for a moment before finally giving in and nodding. 'Okay.'

Even she couldn't resist a slight smile when she caught sight of the concern clouding Casius' face. 'I'll be fine,' she said, reassuring himself more than her. 'The Cryptess has taken down guys worse than this, you know.' Turning her attention back to the four bandits, who each raised their weapons, announcing their intention to fight, Erin nodded.

'The battle,' she muttered, thrusting her staff forward, 'is about to begin.'

* * * *

Okay, so let me just apologise for the short chapter. Hopefully the next chapter, which looks set to guarantee some serious action, will make up for it <33

So, how do you think Erin will fare in the upcoming battle? We know she can blow things up, but can she really take out four armed men on her own? Don't hesitate to let me know what you think in the comments. :D

If you enjoyed this (short) chapter, don't forget to vote!