Worries
The next three months passed by very slowly for the members of Magnus's household. Over that time, Magnus neither came home nor sent a letter to tell that he was ok. All of this secrecy and loss of contact made Eleni, Huxely, and Mimi very nervous. What had happened to the general and his men?
"I'm at the end of my rope," Eleni said one night at dinner, "I think I want to go out and find what happened to him. But I don't even know where to start. He never said anything about where he was going, just that it would be a long trip and he didn't want to worry us with the details."
She had told the others what she had overheard the day after Magnus had left, hoping to figure out if it meant something or not. Huxely had assumed that it must be something big for him to leave Eleni in the dark. Mimi had just worried about her two foster children. She loved Amon and Sara just as much as Magnus loved Eleni, and had always been wary of their army career.
"But Miss Eleni, we can't stand to lose you as well. Who knows where they are, or what they're doing? It is too dangerous for you to go out alone to look for your father and friends," Mimi protested, even though there was worry in her voice for them all as well.
Eleni told her, "I'm not going to set out on my search alone. I have the golems I just created to help me out in battle. You saw what they are capable of, if any enemy tries to attack they can protect me easily. Don't worry, I'll be back with daddy, Dolan, Amon, and Sara before you know it."
Huxely looked at her. "Miss Eleni, it is our job to keep you from getting into trouble. I know you are a capable Mage, and the golems are strong fighters who can take advantage of your weakness to archery, swords, spears, and claws, but you have only defense, and no attacking power versus other magic users. That is also your golems' weakness, if you run into Mages, your quest will be cut short."
"Huxely!" exclaimed Eleni, "I'm not a child anymore! I'm 19-years old, and quite capable of taking care of myself. So please, let me go and search for daddy and the others. I'm begging you."
"Absolutely not! You may be an adult now, but it is still too dangerous for anyone to go out alone, especially with all of the robbers and bandits. What if they mug you?" inquired Mimi.
Eleni didn't answer back. She just stomped up to her room in pure frustration. No one could possibly understand how she felt. Magnus had been like a father to her, even though she was just a poor orphan with no memory of where she came from. He had risked his life for her when she had been kidnapped as a child. Even now, she knew that his actions were all just to protect her from the enemies. Certainly, Eleni didn't blame Magnus for acting the way he did, but just wished he had told her more.
* * *
Shortly before dawn the next day, Eleni began packing some of her robes into a traveling bag with a Mage's Oil. Next, she put in her spellbooks, and some provisions. Finally, the young Mage tied her sheets together, in order to scale down the side of the house and go outside.
Eleni thought, 'If nobody is willing to let me go, I'll just have to go out and find daddy and the others without their permission. They're my family now, and I won't just sit by and let them die. I was too young to be able to save my birth parents, I won't make that same mistake with my new family.'
The young girl ran across the lawn to the outdoor entrance to the basement. She went inside, and found her golems all sitting there, waiting for their orders. "Golems, here is your task. You will come with me and help me track down my missing father and friends. If anyone gets in our way, you will fight them and destroy them. Nothing will stop us from finding our loved ones."
In truth, Eleni was worried about the army the most. Rumors had begun to fly about Magnus turning traitor against the government. She knew that it had to be Hel Spites's doing. Who else would want to frame Magnus? It was clear that if Hel could catch the traitor and stop his plans, the population would vote him Prime Minister instead of Renaldo Castille in the upcoming election. Then, he could use his new status to help him with his own coup, allowing him to become the dictator of all Ishteria.
"I won't let that mad man's plans come to fruition," she vowed, "Especially if he's going to use my daddy as the bait for them. Daddy, hang on. Eleni is coming to save you from him."
The golems obeyed their master's orders. Soon they were all running through the forests, heading for a town. Hopefully, the young Mage could find some information there that might be of some use to her. Such as if Magnus passed that way or where he was going.
It was as plain as day that he would send someone or even a whole unit from the army or Crimson Guard on Magnus's trail soon. Or even some mercenaries or well meaning people in the Security Forces who might believe the lies and wish to protect their country. Eleni knew that she'd probably have to fight against them to get to her father. She prayed for time to get ahead of that group, as well as for them to be an inexperienced band of fighters that Hel had hired. If Eleni or her golems went up against the Crimson Guard, it would be game over for them.
Suddenly, a sound was heard from the bushes. The young girl turned around, expecting a fight. But when she got closer, she saw that the person in question was only Huxely.
"Miss Eleni, we should turn back. It is not safe for you to be out here," he begged.
Eleni stated, "I can't Huxely. Not until I find my father and the others. Please, I must go."
He tugged on her arm. "But you need to come back home. Mimi is worried sick. It's bad enough that she lost her birth child and now her foster children are missing. She can't stand to lose you too."
"And I can't stand to lose daddy," Eleni replied, "No matter what you say, I'm going. Don't try to follow me, you'll only get in my way. I know you're a good healer, but you're age prevents you from doing a lot. I need to make fast time, and I can't do it with you following along." With that, she tugged free of her mentor's grip, and ran off. The golems followed close behind.
- - - -
We're almost to where the game begins. I want to show what happened during the battle from Eleni's POV
The next three months passed by very slowly for the members of Magnus's household. Over that time, Magnus neither came home nor sent a letter to tell that he was ok. All of this secrecy and loss of contact made Eleni, Huxely, and Mimi very nervous. What had happened to the general and his men?
"I'm at the end of my rope," Eleni said one night at dinner, "I think I want to go out and find what happened to him. But I don't even know where to start. He never said anything about where he was going, just that it would be a long trip and he didn't want to worry us with the details."
She had told the others what she had overheard the day after Magnus had left, hoping to figure out if it meant something or not. Huxely had assumed that it must be something big for him to leave Eleni in the dark. Mimi had just worried about her two foster children. She loved Amon and Sara just as much as Magnus loved Eleni, and had always been wary of their army career.
"But Miss Eleni, we can't stand to lose you as well. Who knows where they are, or what they're doing? It is too dangerous for you to go out alone to look for your father and friends," Mimi protested, even though there was worry in her voice for them all as well.
Eleni told her, "I'm not going to set out on my search alone. I have the golems I just created to help me out in battle. You saw what they are capable of, if any enemy tries to attack they can protect me easily. Don't worry, I'll be back with daddy, Dolan, Amon, and Sara before you know it."
Huxely looked at her. "Miss Eleni, it is our job to keep you from getting into trouble. I know you are a capable Mage, and the golems are strong fighters who can take advantage of your weakness to archery, swords, spears, and claws, but you have only defense, and no attacking power versus other magic users. That is also your golems' weakness, if you run into Mages, your quest will be cut short."
"Huxely!" exclaimed Eleni, "I'm not a child anymore! I'm 19-years old, and quite capable of taking care of myself. So please, let me go and search for daddy and the others. I'm begging you."
"Absolutely not! You may be an adult now, but it is still too dangerous for anyone to go out alone, especially with all of the robbers and bandits. What if they mug you?" inquired Mimi.
Eleni didn't answer back. She just stomped up to her room in pure frustration. No one could possibly understand how she felt. Magnus had been like a father to her, even though she was just a poor orphan with no memory of where she came from. He had risked his life for her when she had been kidnapped as a child. Even now, she knew that his actions were all just to protect her from the enemies. Certainly, Eleni didn't blame Magnus for acting the way he did, but just wished he had told her more.
* * *
Shortly before dawn the next day, Eleni began packing some of her robes into a traveling bag with a Mage's Oil. Next, she put in her spellbooks, and some provisions. Finally, the young Mage tied her sheets together, in order to scale down the side of the house and go outside.
Eleni thought, 'If nobody is willing to let me go, I'll just have to go out and find daddy and the others without their permission. They're my family now, and I won't just sit by and let them die. I was too young to be able to save my birth parents, I won't make that same mistake with my new family.'
The young girl ran across the lawn to the outdoor entrance to the basement. She went inside, and found her golems all sitting there, waiting for their orders. "Golems, here is your task. You will come with me and help me track down my missing father and friends. If anyone gets in our way, you will fight them and destroy them. Nothing will stop us from finding our loved ones."
In truth, Eleni was worried about the army the most. Rumors had begun to fly about Magnus turning traitor against the government. She knew that it had to be Hel Spites's doing. Who else would want to frame Magnus? It was clear that if Hel could catch the traitor and stop his plans, the population would vote him Prime Minister instead of Renaldo Castille in the upcoming election. Then, he could use his new status to help him with his own coup, allowing him to become the dictator of all Ishteria.
"I won't let that mad man's plans come to fruition," she vowed, "Especially if he's going to use my daddy as the bait for them. Daddy, hang on. Eleni is coming to save you from him."
The golems obeyed their master's orders. Soon they were all running through the forests, heading for a town. Hopefully, the young Mage could find some information there that might be of some use to her. Such as if Magnus passed that way or where he was going.
It was as plain as day that he would send someone or even a whole unit from the army or Crimson Guard on Magnus's trail soon. Or even some mercenaries or well meaning people in the Security Forces who might believe the lies and wish to protect their country. Eleni knew that she'd probably have to fight against them to get to her father. She prayed for time to get ahead of that group, as well as for them to be an inexperienced band of fighters that Hel had hired. If Eleni or her golems went up against the Crimson Guard, it would be game over for them.
Suddenly, a sound was heard from the bushes. The young girl turned around, expecting a fight. But when she got closer, she saw that the person in question was only Huxely.
"Miss Eleni, we should turn back. It is not safe for you to be out here," he begged.
Eleni stated, "I can't Huxely. Not until I find my father and the others. Please, I must go."
He tugged on her arm. "But you need to come back home. Mimi is worried sick. It's bad enough that she lost her birth child and now her foster children are missing. She can't stand to lose you too."
"And I can't stand to lose daddy," Eleni replied, "No matter what you say, I'm going. Don't try to follow me, you'll only get in my way. I know you're a good healer, but you're age prevents you from doing a lot. I need to make fast time, and I can't do it with you following along." With that, she tugged free of her mentor's grip, and ran off. The golems followed close behind.
- - - -
We're almost to where the game begins. I want to show what happened during the battle from Eleni's POV