Happy July 4th!

Do not own.

Roy galloped at the attackers. "Have at you, knaves!" He swung his mace. The soldiers were shocked to see a centaur coming towards them."

"Kill him!" An order was shouted. The soldiers descended on him ignoring the caravan that was now quickly disappearing into the horizon.

Roy formed his war hammers and swung them at the soldiers. He managed to knock a few soldiers off their horses but because he wasn't a trained soldier, he was soon over matched. They started closing in on him. An ear-piercing sound forced all the soldiers to grip their ears in pain. Roy looked up to see Siren and Senarius. Senarius with his sword cut a path toward him. The soldiers withdrew from Roy and advanced on Senarius.

Roy watched in awe as Senarius blocked a blow from a soldier on horseback before grabbing his wrist and throwing him off. He jumped onto the horse and attacked the nearest soldier.

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up. Watch your back." Siren snapped at Roy.

Roy turned around just in time to see a soldier with his sword raised. Roy immediately swung his war hammers. He knocked the sword from his hand before another blow knocked out the soldier. He looked over for approval and realized that Siren and Senarius was too busy fighting. This was not a game. Senarius fought on horseback while Siren blasted the soldiers with her banshee cry. A soldier was coming from behind her to cut her down. Roy leapt over Siren to land in front of the startled soldier. With one blow the knight fell to the ground.

"Thank you." Siren said gratefully.

Roy nodded and offered her a hand. She took it and Roy swung her onto his back.

"Would you like to join me in taking out the trash?" Roy gave her a half grin.

"You certainly know how to show a girl a good time." She chuckled.

Roy reared before plunging into the fray. Together they managed to do twice the damage. Soldiers began falling left and right. The few that were left started backing away.

"Retreat!" One of them yelled as they started leaving.

"Yeah, run you insects! Don't come around here anymore!" Roy faced Senarius with a grin. Senarius did not look impress.

"You have a lot to learn." He said flatly before riding away.

Roy's smile faded. He galloped to catch up to him. "What do you mean?"

"How many years have you spent training?" He asked.

"Uh…" Roy muttered.

"How many wars have you fought in? He continued.

"Do sheep count?" Roy murmured.

"What are the primary stances for a long sword?" Senarius asked.

"I get it! I get it! I'm not a soldier. But what does it matter? Look what I can do." Roy argued as his hand changed into a crossbow.

"Shoot me." Senarius said.

"What?" Roy gaped at him.

"Shoot me with your crossbow." Senarius stopped and faced him.

"That's crazy." Roy protested.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea." Siren agreed from behind Roy.

"Do it." Senarius snapped.

Roy raised his crossbow and fired directly at Senarius. Faster than their eye can follow, Senarius' blade flashed. Two halves of an arrow diverged and hit two separate trees.

Roy's jaw dropped.

"You may have the weapons but no knowledge on how to effectively use it." Senarius started riding away.

Roy stared at his back for a minute.

"He's right." Siren said.

Roy didn't answer but trotted next to Senarius.

"Then teach me." Roy demanded.

Senarius didn't answer.

"Hey, you have to teach me… please." Roy said a little less stridently.

Senarius lips thinned. "War is not for children."

"I'm not a child!" Roy said indignantly.

"If you want to learn, you must listen to everything I say." Senarius gave him a sideways glance.

"Yes." Roy agreed.

"Then we start now." Senarius said.

"Now? Don't we have to get to Reselda?" Roy asked.

"We will. We can train along the way." Senarius said. "Siren, sit behind me. Roy, can you shoot that leaf?"

Roy squinted to see where Senarius was pointing. He aimed his crossbow and fired.

"Ha! Got it!" He said proudly.

"Good. Now start galloping and try the same shot." Senarius said.

"Huh?" Roy looked at the leaf and began to gallop. He shot his crossbow again. He missed.

"You need to compensate." Senarius said. "Come we're going to work on your aim as we ride." He broke off in a gallop. Aim for that leaf."

Roy gritted his teeth. This was going to be a long trip.

0o0

Reselda watched as Senarius and Siren faded into the distance as Bofer drove the horses hard. If what Senarius said was true they should be in Gehenna in about an hour. The sun should still be in the sky. Merchants fearfully avoid Gehenna in their travels. They tell of demons that steal their ware and sometimes their souls. But if Senarius says to go then they will go. She turned and saw Conrad was staring at the corner.

"I'm sure he's okay." She told him.

Conrad didn't seem to hear her.

"Conrad?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He looked over at her with a blank expression.

"I said I'm sure Roy is fine." She repeated.

"Oh, I'm sure he will be." Conrad said. "He has the most powerful talisman inside his body. I'm more concerned about us."

"Us? Why?" Before Reselda could get her answer.

"There are terrible stories that come out of Gehenna." Conrad said. "Some say it's cursed. Others say it hides a terrible power. But it's true that many who enter never come back out."

"Senarius won't steer us wrong." Reselda had heard those stories as well. She was hesitant herself but she believed Senarius.

"I hope you're right." Conrad said. "Meanwhile, I need to build my stamina."

"Well I know a simple focusing exercise." Reselda said. She grabbed an apple from the hanging net. "Do you know any levitation spells?"

"I think so." Conrad closed his eyes. The apple in her hand glowed faintly before it lifted from her hand.

"Good. Now try to keep it up as long as you can." She said.

Conrad's eyes remained closed as the apple wavered in the air. The glow faded and the apple dropped. Conrad gasped and panted. "That was a lot harder than I thought." He muttered.

"That wasn't bad. Keep doing that and see if you can keep it in the air longer." Reselda said.

Conrad tried again. The apple rose again. This time it stayed longer before dropping. Sweat dripped from his face.

He tried again when the cart suddenly lurched to a stop.

"Bofer? Everything all right?" Reselda popped her head out of the new sunroof Roy created earlier. It was then that she noticed that Bofer was gone. "Bofer?" She pulled herself up onto the roof. When she got closer, she saw that Bofer was tied up in white cloth up to his mouth. He was struggling to say something.

Before she can help him, something wrapped around her arms pinning her hands to her sides. She was then spun her around.

She came face to face with a man wrapped with white cloth.

"Well, well what do we have here?" He sneered. "There hasn't been a pretty lady around here in a while.

"Senarius from Zenbakia sent us." She managed to get it out.

She saw a slight flicker pass through his face before the sneer came back. "Senarius, eh? What does that son of a dog want?"

"We need safe passage." She said her heart started to pound.

"Oh, he promised you safe passage, did he?" He grinned menacingly. "Well, did give you any tribute for us?

"No." She said.

"Too bad. I'm sure we can find some value here." He leered at her.

Reselda froze as he pulled her closer.

I know cliffhanger. I checked the date I last updated and cringed. I'm sorry I waited so long. I've been feeling sad about the things that are going on in the world. For those who wished my husband well. Thank you. He's feeling better but unless he can bend his arm, he may require more surgery. I've also developed something called a frozen shoulder. It's incredibly painful and the only way to fix it is exercise. It's been hard to find the motivation to write anymore. The only thing that keeps me going is my OCD to put things out on holidays or to end chapter stories on an even number. Hopefully, the cliffhanger will also help me get the next one out on time.