Princess Knight [Dropped]

[26] (1/2)

The spring wind seemed to chill down to a low crawl as the night stagnated and silence reigned supreme. An azure light illuminated the area, Ashe's body continuously burning in darkish blue flames. It was impossible to tell if she was alive or in the midst of death. However, they had seen before the tenacity of the beast, and since it's flames still burned in fury, there was a higher likelihood that she still clinged to life.

Maria wanted to quickly turn towards that direction and try her hand in healing the girl--if she still breathed. However, this new encounter drew her attention to the fullest.

Surrounded at both sides by what she should assume to be her enemies, it seemed to her that this new opponent didn't put any thought to the matter. She stood there calmly, just in front of the limply laying assassin that had been killed with a single bolt of lightning raining from the sky. Though, retrospectively, by the time she did so, he had already been crumbled to his knees by the group.

"Alice," The personal guard's voice was laced with a small warmth that hid a frozen undertone.

Her eyes clear, Ais reminiscent slightly about this girl before her. As one of the people that had been trained alongside herself within the recruitment trail of Crow's Nest, and the only one that she had grown a bit of a bond with, Alice Aldridge was someone she was quite familiar with. Even still, they had known each other before then.

"Why are you here?" Ais asked her question.

"Oh?" Her opponent smiled and answered in return "how long has it been since the two of us last chanced upon the other?"

"Three years."

"Yes, indeed, three years since you ran and left me." Alice nodded calmly.

She remained silent, she lacked a response. No, Maria thought as she glanced at the quivering blade at her guard's hand, Ais had decided the best solution to deal with this friend of her's was to remain silent.

"What was it again that we promised the other?" Holding the weapon to her shoulders, the girl gave a charmingly calm smile as she watched her 'dear friend' narrow her eyes.

"To stand together till the end," Ais replied.

"Yes, within the orphanage, we only had each other. When you left, I followed your every footstep. Becoming an adventurer, I joined you. Recruited to join Crow's Nest, I abided."

'She was with her at that time?' Maria furrowed her brows, 'why had Ais failed to mention her?'

"However, Imagine my surprise when I heard my partner had lost the qualifications to become a member. Yet, if I had tried to follow her then and there, I would have been killed."

"Now tell me, Ais, isn't that a bit unfair?" She crooked her head slightly as her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"Did you want me to kill my father?" Ais William directed back.

"What father?" There was a momentary sneer, "That man that had once trained you as an adventurer? As a swordsman? So?"

At that moment, Maria fully realized why Ais hadn't once mentioned this friend of hers. This person was simply disregarding everything else for her own sake.

A hushed voice reached her ears as Ais drew her blade, "go, heal her, we will hold her in place."

Maria needn't think twice, with a small nod, she turned around and began in haste.

However, just the same, a voice trickled and beat against her ears, startling her, "and where might you be off to?"

She knew instinctively what was coming and had immediately sprung out with a yell, "<Light Barrier>!"