After we went home I thought that it would be a slow and grueling process to move out of the Kingdom but to my surprise, it was not so. From what father said to us, he went to the merchants guild and found a buyer for the house in less than a week, all the while mother was making preparations for the journey. As life went on the time came to make the trip, having no idea to where we were going I thought that we would roam across the land giving me a broader ‘feel’ for the outside world.

We traveled through the paved roads of the kingdom on a carriage made specifically for traveling while seeing various fantasy-like elements, like for example the very annoying kobolds who upon seeing us transversing the woodlands would roar in rage, or the infamous goblins who were dispatched by father in a heartbeat.

Mother explained that this kind of wildlife was called here of 'the lesser sentient', possessing some semblance of intelligence they roam through the land causing havoc, death, and misery to the weak and frail. Of course, not everyone is a mage or augmenter, but as we were journeying through the main road to leave the Eddin kingdom I realized that every small town had guards and walls.

Unexpectedly there were no shabby wooden villages, as even the small villages were at least filled with over five thousand inhabitants. Mother said that it was because when people rally to places with favorable conditions to create the villages, usually, the capital dispatches a small number of military personnel to train a small force of guards on the newly created villages. This is not to say that there were no monster related deaths, but there were small in number and usually, the ones who were killed by monsters were weak people, like children, unsuspecting women or even drunkards.

We usually traveled on the main road, we encountered people going to and fro between villages providing various goods. These caravans of merchants were accompanied by either mercenaries or contracted warriors, to my surprise magicians were scarce and few in number, as being a magician is a difficult road coupled with the need to study in-depth and high pockets to buy materials, whereas the warrior path or augmenter was a simpler and more economic road to transverse.

And so weeks went by and I became accustomed to the uncomfortable rattling of the carriage, hard sun and the nights where we had to camp outside.

It had already been approximately two weeks all the while training my connection with mana in the back of the carriage we came to a sudden halt, opening my eyes I tried to analyze the road but seeing nothing I relaxed a bit more, until my father stood up with a frown and unsheathed his sword and disappeared in a blur which startled me.

Turning to my mother I asked with an alarmed face.

“Where fath-...?”

Seeing the expression on my mother's eyes I knew right away that something was amiss, but still didn’t understand why such expression would appear in the face of one of the most powerful people I’ve had seen in the capital. What did the wilderness have that would shake my father and mother so much?

Feeling the tremors on the ground travel upwards towards the carriage I frowned, as I was going to stand my mother grabbed me in a fluid motion and the world spun making me feel dizzy, suddenly just as quick it began, it stopped. Looking around in confusion I understood why mother had been so quick to move us both.

In front of us was a severed carriage, whatever had severed the carriage obviously had aimed at us trying to obliterate me and my mother, luckily we escaped in the last breath.

Roaring my mother said.

“Who dares to lay a hand on us, show yourself.”

To which a hoarse voice said mockingly.

“Oh my, did I startle the Huntress?” Of the shadows of the trees came out a lanky man covered entirely in black clothes and a hood, the only distinct feature was his red large beard. “Its a very big deal for me to meet you, Huntress, I've always been a fan.”

Again with the mocking tone, he antagonized my mother. I looked at my mother's face and knew that if there was to be a fight, this would be difficult to deal with and even more so if I were to stick to her arms while she fended this man.

“Do you wish to die?” Frowning, my mother said. “To have the nerve to attack us, even more so in the presence of both me and my husband, before dying you best pray to the gods!”

“Haha, I didn’t know that the legendary killer would be so fearful and useless facing little old me.” Laughing and twisting his expression, the man said.

“For someone at the master level you sure feel confident, don’t you?”

‘Master level?’ Confused I wondered since when did this world have such a system of ranking, but then I remembered how my mother was called archmage of the court. ‘Maybe that was one of the ranking levels?’

looking at the lanky man in front of me, I feel that this is not the only enemy in sight, something about how I can feel the mana surrounding him makes me ‘see’ that something is wrong and behind are various mana signatures. Unable to shake the feeling of helplessness for not being able to warn my mother of this, I realize the man is stalling and waiting for something. 'I suppose mother is powerful but there has to be a limit to how much people she can handle at once.'

Suddenly I feel danger, danger like I’ve only felt in the void. Something dark and primordial is being summoned, oblivious to this, mother and the man keep the stalemate. I see something from behind the man creep in the floor at high speeds and i can’t help but yell.

“MOTHER DODGE!"