The Laughing Swordsman

Three nearly complete fire spells were currently inside Maya's body. As of now, she was trying to connect all three of them.

Her brows were furrowed and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Guiding the mana strained her mind while the mana's existence in her body slowly destroyed her.

However, she did not falter.

The three fire spells slowly connected. Maya gasped for air.

The fire spells bound to each other. All that was left was to complete it.

Apollo looked at Maya curiously.

"Are you ok?"

Maya nodded. She took a deep breath.

Her sides were already beginning to hurt from keeping the spell in her body. The pain when she casted it would surely be worse.

Maya shook her head.

"Apollo?"

Apollo turned to Maya and smiled.

"Yeah?"

Maya smiled bitterly.

"If I collapse, could you carry me?"

Apollo tilted his head.

"Ok! Why not?"

Maya nodded, then completed the spell.

At the tips of her fingers, a ball of fire began to burgeon and collapse into itself. A shock went through Maya's body. Her limbs felt numb, while she couldn't feel her head.

She could feel a bolt of fire form and propel itself in a direction. Not wanting to destroy some poor farmer's house, she aimed it towards the forest.

A firebolt shot out towards the trees. It was a bit bigger than a basketball and traversed the air rapidly.

While the ball of fire was still traveling forwards, Maya fainted from the pain.

Apollo was next to Maya, so he could've caught her when she began to fall. Unfortunately, he was too mesmerized by the firebolt and didn't even notice.

In the end, Maya fell on the floor with a loud thump.

At least she wasn't awake for that.

The firebolt blasted into a tree, causing it to bend like it was a finger and lighting it aflame.

Apollo jumped up and down.

"Wow, Maya! That was so cool!"

There was no response.

Apollo looked left and right.

"Maya?"

He walked forward and stepped onto Maya's face. Noticing he was not stepping on snow, he looked down.

"Oh, hey Maya!"

Maya was not getting up anytime soon, but she still hugged the gemstone tightly. Apollo stared at her, with his foot still on her face.

Was he supposed to do something?

Apollo slapped his forehead.

"Ah, right! Sorry, Maya."

He removed his foot and then lifted Maya by her arms with his free hand and put her on his back.

Then, Apollo looked around aimlessly.

"Where am I supposed to go again?"

Maya did not specify a location, however, Apollo thought she did.

Apollo furrowed his brows, randomly saying words he remembered Maya saying.

"...Apollo, she said Apollo. Hmm... oh, Maya! ...Wait no, I was the one who said that."

Apollo's eyes closed.

"...City. She said something about a city. Go to the city?"

Apollo's eyes shot open.

"Ah, go to the city!"

Apollo convinced himself that was what Maya told him.

With a smile, he began walking towards the towering walls. He was in no rush and was not hampered by Maya's weight.

On his way there, two guards clad in iron armor approached his direction. One was about a head taller than the other.

Once the guards were a few meters away from Apollo, the shorter guard glared at him.

"Stop!"

Apollo stopped moving, as did the guards. He then tilted his head.

"Why are we stopping?"

The taller guard scoffed.

"What do you think you're doing out here? Go back into your inferior commoner class home."

Apollo pouted.

"But I don't have a commoner class home!"

The shorter guard narrowed his eyes.

"Preposterous! You obviously live in a commoner class home!"

Apollo furrowed his brows.

"I do?"

The taller guard rolled his eyes.

"What nonsense? Do you really think you belong in the city?"

Apollo perked up when he heard the guard say 'city'.

"Oh, I am supposed to go to the city!"

The shorter guard raised an eyebrow.

"...And on what basis did you come to that conclusion?"

Apollo scratched his head.

"Ah, Maya told me!"

The larger guard blinked a few times.

"The little girl you are carrying?"

Apollo nodded.

"Yes!"

The shorter guard furrowed his brows. He leaned over to his compatriot and whispered.

"Is that girl some important figure from within the city?"

The taller guard frowned.

He scanned his memory for any noble or high-ranking power that resembled the girl but found none.

The taller guard laughed.

"Impressive bluff commoner! You almost had us, however, you were unfortunate enough to meet me! I have memorized every high power within the city of Evermore and that girl is not one of them!"

Apollo nodded.

"Ah, yeah! She doesn't come from the city."

The corner of the taller man's lip twitched.

"She doesn't?"

Apollo shook his head.

The shorter guard facepalmed.

"So why did you tell us that?"

Apollo tilted his head.

"Huh? Tell you what?"

The shorter guard frowned.

"You said the girl on your back told you to go to the city."

Apollo nodded.

"Yeah! She did!"

The guards were speechless for a moment. They couldn't tell whether or not Apollo simply had a few screws loose or was plainly messing with them.

The two guards looked at each other, then looked back at Apollo.

The taller guard spoke up.

"Are you... sure?"

Apollo nodded confidently.

"Yes, she-"

Apollo cut himself off. He furrowed his brows while rubbing his thumb and forefinger on his chin.

"Wait... did she say that?"

The shorter guard stomped his foot.

"Stop messing with us! We know that you aren't a city person! Now get back to your damn house already."

Apollo's eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah! She didn't say to go to the city..."

The taller guard scoffed.

"Alright, just return to your house now and we can pretend like nothing ever happened."

Apollo didn't respond. Rather, he was mumbling to himself.

"The people of this city..."

The shorter guard smirked.

"What about the people in the city?"

Apollo's eyes lit up.

"Oh, right! Kill the people of the city!"