Chapter III Four Equals a Hundred?
Arethusa entered the Great Hall, her cobalt blue eyes showing her mind's pre-occupation. She half-heard but barely listened to the soft, romantic music the Pronteran Orchestra was playing. She walked aimlessly for the next few seconds. A hand barred her from moving forward. Feeling dazed, she looked towards the owner of the hand.
A tall, good-looking man with brown hair that was tied neatly behind his head stood beside her. The man gave out a charming smile, showing his even white teeth. "How about that dance I requested, mademoiselle?" He offered his right hand and bowed low.
Councilor Kinsley. It was only then that Arethusa registered the man's identity into her muddled brain. She unconsciously put her hand on top of his. He led her to the dance floor. Her head was bent down so the new councilor tilted her chin up. He carried her hands to either side of his shoulders and started to dance.
The small, masked creatures came out of their hiding from behind the tress. There were seven of them – two ranged fighters while the rest were melee. Each of them brandished their weapons which ranged from daggers to flails to bows. They slowly advanced threateningly to the red-haired Sileo who had his sword readied and to Crystal who was behind him.
Artensis, Sileo's black-bladed, double-edged sword, was held firmly on both of his hands. The special sword didn't glint as common swords would. Crystal stared at it critically. She had never liked Artensis ever since she saw it for the first time. Maybe it was because of her despise for any form of darkness – which was where the name of the sword was derived. But, she wouldn't be able to criticize its excellent performance for it proved to be a very sharp sword. Artensis was a sword one could rely on.
She watched as Sileo hacked and slashed on the oncoming monsters, not needing her help for the time being. Artensis cut cleanly through the bodies of the small, masked creatures. The creatures cried a high-pitched yelp of pain whenever the sword struck, fatally wounding them. Sileo suddenly turned, made a grab for Crystal's left arm, and dragged her across the garden and back to the stone steps that led to the balcony of the castle.
"W-what-?" She looked back and tripped on one of the steps. Her eyes grew bigger as a larger wave of thinly-armored, masked monsters ran after them.
Arethusa and Councilor Voltaire danced to the slow, melodious music. Arethusa's long, flowing blue satin dress swished mildly, her funneled sleeves floating in the air. Her crystal pumps clinked on the polished wooden floor. Voltaire raised her right arm with his, leading her for a spin. Voltaire's hand unexpectedly let go of hers while she, on the other hand, kept twirling.
Arethusa checked herself from further spinning but was astounded to see the new councilor lying on the floor. She went down on her knees, still slightly dazed, beside the unconscious man. She brought her hands to a gash the councilor earned on his right temple. She felt for a bump with her hands. Busy with her task, she was startled to hear a woman's shriek some distance away.
"Goblins!" An effeminate gentleman screamed in warning, pointing his fingers frantically up the high windows situated ten feet above the ground. The warning caused a chain reaction of fear and screams amongst the party's populace.
The aforementioned monsters jumped out of the concrete sills the windows provided. Their masked faces muffled their evil laughter, arms flailed in the air with weapons on hand. By twos and by threes the goblins leaped from the high windows and inside the Great Hall, completely destroying the happy atmosphere. The goblins spread out. The fighters among the partiers took out their weapons and fought against them.
The castle guards burst into the scene, shouting for the civilians to leave the castle immediately. Helpless citizens and foreigners alike ran with such haste towards the different doors that provided as exit.
A distinct group of goblins – for their being the only ones holding coils of ropes – walked straight to where Arethusa and the fainted councilor were. She heaved herself up and untied a wand embellished with a blue-and-yellow-marbled crystal which was found on one side of her dress. She raised it and started to direct her energy into the device.
Just as Arethusa was about to cast, Yorgil rammed into her hard enough to knock them both down onto the polished wooden floor. Yorgil, who was glaring at her furiously, landed on top of her, knocking the wind off both of them.
She glared back while trying to regain her lost breath. "What are you doing? I was going to protect the councilor!"
"You won't be able to stop them if you were already dead!" Yorgil answered through clenched teeth, raising one of his arms to point at a short javelin that partly embedded itself on the cracked floor.
Yorgil saw her visibly pale. He stood, dragging Arethusa up with him. She aggressively took her hands away from him, hiding her bout of weakness. She stooped down to pick up her wand that was left lying on the ground.
A goblin suddenly rushed towards Arethusa's bent form. It raised its weapon high up in the air with both its hands. The goblin suddenly jumped high and was about to deal her a hammer strike on her unsuspecting body if not for Yorgil's intervening kick on its round stomach. She straightened her body and turned her head to look at the felled goblin.
"How many times do I have to save you from death?!"
"Don't shout at me!" She barked, stung by Yorgil's insult. She fixed her disordered dress and looked defiantly at him. "I… I was just unprepared, that's all," she answered haughtily.
Yorgil snorted.
Blag…
Both Arethusa and Yorgil looked up to see a goblin wielding a dirk on its right hand hovering on the air. It slowly slid down, as if there was an invisible barrier that blocked it. Its face partly plastered itself on the barrier with its eyes still open and distorted when the goblin slid further down against it, leaving a trail of green saliva. A burst of white light suddenly surrounded the goblin, making it panic. The light erupted, throwing the goblin quite a distance away from them.
"Chrissie!" Arethusa ran to the instigator of the barrier and tightly hugged her.
"Bad news. There's another wave outside but it's not as many as we have here. Any minute now and they too will be inside the castle," Crystal informed gravely. She looked beyond Arethusa's head. "They're dragging someone," she said, seeing the new councilor being dragged by two goblins.
Yorgil swore under his breath. "I'll go. Arethusa – stay close to your guardian. [i]Don't[/i] do anything that would lead you to harm."
"Hey, I can protect myself!" Arethusa claimed, bringing her hands to her hips.
Sileo came near her and patted her on the shoulders, as if conveying his sympathy. He turned and followed Yorgil.
"Stay behind my back, Arethusa."
"I said I can do this. Don't treat me like a helpless child!"
"Just stay, okay?"
Arethusa seethed in silence. A spurt of great energy ignited inside her, empowering her anger. She breathed more heavily.
Yorgil and Sileo successfully saved the councilor from the goblins. They heaved the fainted councilor up and gave him to one of the town guards that was at present not fighting against the invaders. They looked up to see the wave of goblins finally arrive inside the castle.
Crystal fought the goblins with furor. She cast Holy Light one after another, sending forth bursts of white light that suddenly erupted when it surrounded its target. She felt her energy starting to wane but didn't think ill of it. She knew her skill in hand-to-hand combat was not questionable.
Against all the chaos around her, Arethusa stood silent. Her eyes were closed, as if she was in deep concentration. The wand was in front of her outstretched arms. She was muttering incoherently.
Crystal looked behind her and saw her ward standing alone a distance from her unprotected. A goblin slowly made its way towards Arethusa. "Behind you, Arethusa!"
"Gelo veho." Frost driver.
The wand dropped to the ground, still upright. Blue light came out of the tip on the wand and formed a sphere of ice. Thin lines of ice rapidly spread out of the wand. It went to every mobile goblin inside the castle.
The goblin behind Arethusa froze, covering it with a thin sheet of ice. Soon, more goblins were frozen. The fighters in the castle let out a shout of triumph. They used their weapons on the vulnerable enemies.
"Arethusa that was stupendous!" Crystal hugged her friend with glee.
Arethusa let out a weak smile, all anger leaving her body. Everything was spinning around her with such speed that she closed her eyes. She fainted.
Crystal felt her friend slump heavily against her.