Arcadian Crusader

First Encounter

The sun has set, the cloud begin to red, the moon rise. Indicating the night time will come and surround me in this wilderness. Finally my first night coming closer than I expected. I should have find oasis somewhere as fast as possible or else I should drink this desert deer blood again.

But it seems I can't find it anywhere here. Yet I found someone set a campfire under the lonely tree which I don't know what the name is. He seems enjoy it very much with a lit pot boiling some water. But it seems odd for me. I didn't find any water source anywhere.

I think I am just gonna pass him and search oasis like my uncle does. Yes he does find one while he is on wilderness like me. I must not give up and search it like my uncle does. It must be somewhere here as my uncle said.

But then, the night time finally come.

I speed up my horse to find the oasis faster. Like it or not but the night time is the worst time to explore like my uncle said and I feel the same too. I hope I brought some lighting device with me right now. The dark of the night is terrible.

But not long after the moon show it's light to me. My suffering come to an end as the cloud opening the way for the moon to shine. The sand came to visible again and I could see the path clearly with my horse.

I take back my word. As soon as I see the glitter of star in the sky, my heart racing very fast. The beauty of the wilderness in the night is very excite me. I don't even know what to say after seeing this beautiful scenery in the sky.

I can't take off my eyes to this beautiful scenery until I realized I've passing the only oasis that I could find in this wilderness. With a powerful pull I could've done, I am forcing my horse to turn back and go to that oasis.

This is the worst action I've done to my dear horse. So I pat it as soon as I could control my balance.

Seems like there is someone who set a campfire here too. He is a knight with red cloak and brown horse. He is fully armored like a true knight who fight against the evil in this world. I wonder why he come to such place here ?

The knight greet me as I coming closer to him. Seems like he is not a bad knight after all.

"Safety for you too well armored knight. What kind of duty you bear to came to such a place like this ?" ask me while I get down from my horse.

"A knight ? What kind of joke is that. Well since you are don't know and you seems like a good person I must tell you. I am an adventurer too. A well armored adventurer."

"Well I am West August. Nice to meet you." I stuck out my hand.

"Ray Burns. Me too." he accept my hand and we are handshaking.

The night became darker again. But now I am not alone. There is an adventure like me who wander in this night desert. In front of campfire we are talking and telling stories. This warmth of campfire feels so good in this cold wilderness. I am very grateful that I don't need to drink that deer blood anymore.

But still I am yet to tell him that I am a Card Holder.

"So you are going to the capital as a tradition. That's why I never met you once in there. Once I've popular in capital and know everyone names. But you are an exceptional."

"Yeah I know that. So I am very excited to visit it someday."

"But why capital ? What kind of tradition you have in there ? I am quite curios." Ray sharpening his eyes.

"I don't know exactly what it is. But it seems it's a tradition to earn that adventurer badges like yours."

Ray seems confuse a little. But then he realized something. "Did you mean this badges ? Well it's not like what you think cowboy."

"Then what is that ? And I just wanted to participate in this family tradition because I could wandering freely now."

"Ahahaha.... you are the weird ones. But well I couldn't tell you about this badge. Soon you will know as your adventure extend."

I join his laugh as I realize my adventure experience is still very low.

Suddenly my heart beating very fast with no reason. I feel an existence that should have not here right now. A group of running men come closer. They are probably coming for us as we are set the campfire in the middle of the night.

Ray feels them too. His eyes sharpened as he feels their auras. We are stand up and hold our weapon ready for battle. The tension of the battle I've been felt feels different in this new wilderness. The new enemy I will encounter will be my first unexpected challenge.

This feeling I felt right now will be called The First Encounter.

I stood up my rapier in front of my face while straightening my posture. Ray stance has the same stance like me. I think we have some similarity in this adventure. We are detecting enemy presence as fast as we could. The dark of the night making them harder to detect.

But it's nothing in front of my eyes. With this Mourning Gale in my hand I could feel their presence easily with this night wind. Plus the wind in this night is very great that I could find them in no time. I wonder what Ray Burns do in this situation.

"Gggrrraaaahhhhhh !!!!!"

He is running ! He left his position and rush to the enemy position. It's very dangerous right there. Bunch of enemies are hiding there is more than five to ten. But two enemy here too seems like a very dangerous duo.

But it's okay. I'll hold to my uncle word to believe someone's courage even when you are yet to know them. This is a fiction world. Where such thing like magic and red string of fate exist. Then there is always a hope too.

This two enemies I will face showed up. They are riding a black horse with red eyes as the horseman has the red eyes too. Their horse is so fast but yet a match to my Draft President. I could handle them alone with only my rapier.

Suddenly the earth shaking. Two horses who want to strike me panicking. Someone behind me has a very great power that even could shake the earth. It is Ray Burns who release his aura by holding his greatsword two handedly. The enemies there are flying as he release his aura.

What a power....

Then I must not lose. This two red eyed bandit will unconscious in no time. "! Mourning Gale : Great Wind s***h !" I chant the spell then I swing my sword toward them gently. The wind suddenly flows hard make those horsemen fell from their horse.

But their posture didn't broke. They rush to me as their leg touch the ground. Now the true battle has begun. With their twin dagger they attack me as fast as possible. But their dagger is no match with the length of my rapier. My rapier surpass their puny daggers.

And now. I wonder what happen over there.

Ray burns outmatching them in one go. No one could handle him alone as his sword arts so much troublesome even with that number. His movement is very fast as he could control his body freely without any problem.

The greatsword smash them one by one. Every bandit who tried to hurt him began filled with fear as he seeing his sword arts and his intimidating greatsword. They are immediately withdraw as their see their chance to win almost empty.

"How's my blood boils ! Face me coward !" Ray enrage.

The red eyed bandit start using ranged attack. They throw some poisonous knives from their sleeves hidden between their arm. It seems they are running out of ideas to take Ray down. Their movement unpredictable yet in a mess. None of them would take Ray down after this.

Ray easily block their ranged attack and rush strike them one by one. The liquid from the poisonous knives flying as he manage to block them. Good thing that poison is not affect Ray skin because how fully armored he is.

I am very impressed by his skill in a fight. His war cry is not just a bluff. It's a true spirit in his inner side.

As I see his fighting skill I am begin motivated. Then I would not hold them any longer with this game of guard and deflecting. They are so weak as I swipe them with a single s***h they are lost their posture. It seems I've been hold them to long until their stamina run out.

Then I am just gonna finish them in one move. The move that I always use to defeating my opponents without hurting them. The magic I've develop as I grow stronger with this Tarot Card The Chariot. Here I go, "! Mourning Gale : Storm Exorcism !"

The wind suddenly surround me harshly. It's a very effective to scare out the enemy I fought and it's look so much creepier when you are close to this magic. Not an offensive magic but a worth one to threaten them.

"How do you like it punks." I am mumbling.

But then an odd thing happen. The horses rage out and those red eyed bandit I fought screaming in pain. A black aura leaking from their bodies and swiped by the magic wind I produce. Their red eye slowly gone and their body return to normal. The same thing happen with the horses.

I am very confused to what happening now. It's never be happened as far as I remember using this magic spell. This is not my doing and I never plan this either. And it seems it happening in Ray side too. The black aura flying and leaving their bodies revealing their true identity.

What the hell is going on ? I don't understand what happened now.

To be continued.....