I watch nervously as the four of them think it over. Koko is the first to make up her mind, she meets my eyes and gives me a nod. She is a weird one, she hardly ever speaks and when she does it is normally just one word. Even when we were first summoned she had her face covered, I still don't know what she looks like.

She keeps her raven hair cut short, and she is the fittest among those summoned. I still remember her beating down her trainer on our first day of training. She has never told us her real name or anything about her life on earth, but I still trust her.

Giles is Koko's opposite, he says pretty much anything that crosses his mind, and every emotion he has is visible on his face. At six foot he is the tallest of us, beating me by two inches, with short spiky red hair and tons of freckles. He has an accent that I can't place, I think it is from somewhere in Europe but I can't be sure.

Normally he would have answered already, but he has a huge crush on Rachel and I am fairly sure he will stay if she does. If it wasn't for her I think he would choose to go back, he loves the royal lifestyle. He would also probably try to kill everyone who said anything inappropriate to Rachel.

Rachel has been in a tough situation since we were summoned, since she was the only non-white person summoned. Luckily there don't seem to be any colored people in this country so that racism doesn't exist here. Although, I am sure she still has to deal with it from some of the other heroes.

Rachel is the most calm and level-headed out of the four of them, and as the healer that is a very good thing. Since her spells aren't useful in combat she spent a lot of time learning to fight with a mace and shield. Now I wonder if that was so she could defend herself from unwanted advances.

Emelia is the youngest, in fact she was the youngest person summoned, having turned fourteen only a few days before we were summoned. She is energetic and very open with her emotions, I know she has a crush on me but I do my best to pretend that I don't know. As a tamer the fact that we weren't allowed to go out and fight monsters has made it very difficult for her.

She learned how to use a bow so she wouldn't be completely useless in a fight, but her class revolves around having a tamed monster so she is the weakest of us right now. I expect her to wait until everyone else has decided but I am surprised when she speaks up right after Koko nods.

Emelia says "I don't want to go back there ever!"

Rachel says "Did someone hurt you Emelia?"

Emelia says "No, but the king kept trying to give me candy and get me alone. He gave me a really bad feeling."

Rachel suddenly looks furious, it is the first time I have seen her mad and I admit it scares me. I decide I don't ever want her mad at me, if the king were here with us I am pretty sure Rachel would tear him apart with her bare hands. If Rachel had been having trouble deciding about going back, Emelia just made up her mind.

Rachel says "You plan to do more than just run away right? We will be fighting against the king?"

"Yes, I plan to help the people of this world against the king."

Rachel says "Then count me in!"

Giles says "Me too!"

Koko Ninja Level 9 wishes to join your party! Do you accept? Y/N

Giles Lancer Level 7 wishes to join your party! Do you accept? Y/N

Rachel Cleric Level 10 wishes to join your party! Do you accept? Y/N

Emelia Tamer Level 4 wishes to join your party! Do you accept? Y/N

"Oh, wow! There is a party system? Accept all!"

Party Formed!

Rachel says "How did we not know there was a party system?"

"I guess because no one really worked together before this?"

Giles says "Makes sense, after all the trainers discouraged us from working together."

"The king probably didn't want us working together because we would be harder to control."

The others fall silent as they think about what I said, they have a lot to think over so I give them some time. It took me a while to adjust my thinking after I returned to the capital. I am about to suggest we mount up and keep moving when I see Koko spin to face the direction we came from.

Koko says "Enemies!"

The four of us ready our weapons, Emelia moves behind me and Rachel, while Giles mounts his horse. Lancers get bonuses when fighting mounted so having Giles mounted will improve our odds. I start hearing movement a minute before I see the first soldier appear amongst the trees.

In total twenty soldiers appear and line up facing us, they are the king's troops but in a different uniform than I have seen before. Then a mounted officer rides up behind the line of soldiers. He was one of our trainers, and a captain in the royal guard, but I can't remember his name.

Rachel says "Sidran, you scum!"

Sidran says "Well hero, you were smart to leave the road and avoid our ambush, but you should have kept running!"

Soldier says "Sir, orders?"

Sidran says "The king ordered no witnesses, so we kill them all. But leave the woman alive for now, we can kill her later."

The way Sidran leers at Rachel enrages Giles and he charges the soldiers. Rachel and I also charge at the soldiers, we can't let them surround Giles. As I run forward an arrow flashes past my ear and takes one of the soldiers in the throat. I feel bad that a kid like Emelia is having to kill at her age.

Giles reaches the soldiers and impales one on his lance, but that still leaves eighteen soldiers and Sidran. These are not good odds, where is Koko? Giles is getting pushed back, another soldier falls to an arrow from Emelia, and Rachel and I are almost to the fight.