章節 6: All Wrapped up
I slowly woke up with a splitting headache. I was laying on a big soft bed; a white feather quilt covering me. I slowly moved and felt silk sheets move across my body. I froze. In both lives I did not own anything like this. I moved my body again and the sheet caressed all of my body. I was naked. I quickly refocused as best I could. I felt a little nauseous when I moved so I knew I was hurt but the pain was only in my head. I did not hurt down there so I was still probably "pure" but for how long? I shut my eyes and cast my light heal spell. Then cast it again as I felt the pain in my head ease.
Feeling better, I opened my eyes and took in the room I was in. It was a big room. The walls were made out of stone and I could see the sky through a big window. I quickly moved to get out of the bed and promptly fell on my face. It was then that realized that I failed to notice the chain that was screwed into the bed frame which ran to a fur lined metal cuff that fit snugly on my ankle. I know. I know, I should have felt it but waking up naked in a unfamiliar room had me rattled. I was so nervous that I was shaking, I gave the chain a few experimental tugs and heard the wooden bed groan a little.
I heard a ding and a message window popped up
Chain Mission
Free Yourself
You have been caught by the evil duke. You will need to free yourself if you do not want to be his bride!
Reward – 20 XP
Accept: YES / NO
I smirked a bit at that. They thought I was a normal child with a child's strength. While I have yet to test out my full strength I knew from my character creation that I was twice as strong as a grown adult. With that thought in mind I gave it my all and yanked the chain hard. The big wooden bed moved but the chain was still attached. Crap! This bed looked like it weighed hundreds of pounds. I was not expecting it to move. Thinking hard I came up with plan B. I laid down on the floor, put my feet onto the bed where the chain was attached, and pushed with my feet while pulling the chain towards me. I pulled harder and harder and finally was rewarded with the sound of wood cracking.
The metal plate that attached the chain to the bed shot off past my head. It was so close that I involuntarily jerked to the side as my eyes widened in shock. That was too close. The plate jerked as it reached the length of the chain and fell to the floor with a clatter.
Chain Mission
Free Yourself: Complete
You have been caught by the evil duke. You will need to free yourself if you do not want to be his bride!
Reward – 20 XP
Chain Mission
Escape the Castle
Step 2 – Now that you are free you will need to escape from the castle and the guards
Reward – 20 XP
Accept: YES / NO
I began to hear the sound of people moving around below me. I am unsure how far up I am, but I am pretty sure that if they got to me my day was going to get much worse. In desperation, I grabbed the bed and tried to drag it to the only door in this room. I slid closer to the bed instead of the bed moving at all. I grumbled about skipping physics and moved to the other side of the bed. I got low and half lifted half pushed the bed forward. I had better luck this time, but the noises were getting closer. Not giving up I push lifted this bed until I got it to the door.
Just as I was getting it into place the door swung open a crack before hitting the bed. I screamed and jumped back. I was not expected that. Then I scolded myself. I am going to be an adventure I had to be better than a girl in a horror movie. "Holy crap that was close," I said to myself but I saw a man on the other side scowl at me. He looked like I stole his puppy.
"little girl open this door now and we will let you go." There was a pause and then he shouted "If you do not we will feed you to the dogs for angering us!" Puppy face started off in a calm voice but was screaming in anger by the end. Like I was going to just going to surrender. "there is only one way out and that is through this door!" he banged on the door trying to get it to move. I could hear more people coming. If there were more than they would be able to move that bed. I was already happy that the guy did not have any strengthening magic.
I did not have time for this. I had to move. I grabbed the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around my body. This will have to do, I thought and moved to the window. "wait wait I am sorry I yelled at you. Don't kill yourself! Let's talk about this" He looked desperate. Maybe he'll get into trouble if I were to get hurt? Who knows? I did not answer and did not look back. I was running out of time as I heard the bed scraping on the floor. It sounds like he got a helper. I ran. That's right I ran and then threw myself out of the window without looking.
Chain Mission
Escape the Castle: Complete
Rewards – 20 XP
Chain Mission
Returning Home
Now that you are free you will need to find your way home
Reward – 20 XP
Accept: YES / NO
The bright sunlight blinded me for a second, but I manifested my wings to slow my fall the second I cleared the window. Once I could see I flapped my wings to gain altitude and then looked around.
As the wind hit me, I notice another issue. The sheet that I had quickly wrapped around me was trying to fly away! It was too long so everything that that was not tightly wrapped was acting like a sail and catching the wind. I desperately grabbed it and held on for dear life.
Getting everything under control I glanced down I saw a castle with men outside of it running about looking up at me and the window I jumped out of now had 3 people standing by it. There was puppy dog face, an older man and a twenty something fatter man that had some of the features of the old man. I was guessing his kid. Either way the fat man was screaming something and was now pointing at me. I could see as the fat man screamed at the puppy dog faced soldier that his face was getting redder and redder. I wonder if he will just keel over and save the world from himself. That would be nice.
I looked around trying to get a path out of here. I had problems I needed to handle namely, food, clothing and how to not get married to this idiot. The last one was my priority. Do you remember that hour long conversation I had with my overly enthusiastic mother? Well one of the crappiest part of it was the fact that women are to be chaste. Which in and of itself is not a big deal but if a woman is caught in the bed of a man she would be forced to marry into that family. I believe that was what was going on now. These bastards were kidnapping me and then probably would have "accidently" exposed me and whoever the groom was to be when some guests came over. I regretted not being a fire mage. I really want to burn their place to the ground!
I felt something wiz past my head when I was glaring at the trio by the window. Anger clouded my thoughts for a bit as I thought up all the classes I could have taken to blow them up. I let it go slowly and noticed a few more things fly by my head. What the.. I look around to see what was going on and noticed the men that were once running around now had crossbows out. As they shot another volley most fell short but there were a few that flew by me. I started cursing in my head. I needed to get out of here! I quickly scanned the area and saw a patch of woods to the north and a town to the south past a bunch of fields. To my left and right were nothing but farmland.
I chose the woods for now and flew off that way. I figured I could get cover and situate my new sheet and maybe get a club that will act as a mace until I get home. They stole my clothes I'll steal their sheet. It will serve them right. Silk was expensive. As I flew, I dodged the bolts as best I could but one ended up piercing my leg and pain coursed through me. I flared out my aura to minimize it but a dull throbbing could still be felt. I gritted my teeth and flew faster. My flight quickly outpaced their running and I made it to the trees easily enough.
Acquired Dodge Skill 1 / 200
I landed on a tree branch. I tried to keep most of my weight off my left leg that had now been shot and still had the fur lined cuff still attached. The chain dangling down. I looked at the barb of the bolt that stuck out of one side of my leg and the feathers on the other side. How the heck do I remove a crossbow bolt? Do I just pull it out or like on TV do I try and break it first? F it, there is no way I can hold it still enough to break it and not cause even more damage to my leg so I am just going to yank it out. I let up the aura, grabbed the barbed end and yanked. Liquid fire! That is what it felt like. There was so much pain my vision turned white from it. When the feathers entered in the pain got worse and I felt every inch of it scrape across the inside of my leg. When it was finally out I was covered in a cold sweat. I quickly cast my heal spell over and over and watched as my wound slowly closed up. Nice! I quickly drop my aura once I am healed up since it is like a beacon saying come get me. I am over here!
Acquired Pain Resistance Skill 1 / 200
The sheet now clung to my body like a second skin. One section of it died in blood. I am sure this is not my best look. I laugh at myself. After all I only have myself to blame. Na, I will blame it on whoever that duke was and beat him until he is 1 hit point from dead. Then beat him some more! Time for a game plan. First food! I have not eaten since breakfast the day I went shopping so it has been at least a day. I might be able to grab something to eat from their fields. If so that would be a good start. Second, Get to that town while avoiding the baron's people. Third, get to my house while avoiding being seen in a bloody sheet. The rumors would be that I slept with somebody and if my mom has a say I would be married off quickly. At least I assume so judging from her recent actions.
I heard voices under me. I huddle closer to the tree and hope the foliage is enough to keep me out of sight.
Acquired Camouflage Skill 1 / 200
I cannot believe we are being sent out here to look for a girl for that disgusting man," Guard one.
"I know but did you see her? She can use high magic! The Duke will try to bed her so his kids can inherit that."
"Ya, poor girl. I saw that gang he uses dragging her in. They groped her a bit when the duke wasn't looking. I can only imagine what they did on the trip here."
"None of our business what he does as long as his gold is there at the end of the month. Come on we need to find her first for the reward money." The second guard said. I could hear them talking but as they moved away their conversation was harder and harder to hear until I could hear nothing. It did not sound like they were going to give up from what I could make out and as soon as I take to the sky they will see me. Should I wait until dark?
In the end, I got as comfortable as I could and hunkered down for the day. Voices could be heard off and on throughout the day. It seemed most of the guards are nothing more than paid thugs based on what they were saying, very few showed any compassion. I did get to hear that I was not the first girl they did this too and it was the fat guy that was the duke. Oh and a few more disgusting things about what they did the night before. Brothels are legal I guess and how most of them spent their earnings. Creepy guys for a creepy duke I thought.
As it grew dark, I rewrapped my sheet into a toga style as best I could and edged out a little on the branch to get wing room for takeoff. I cannot wait to get home I am so hungry at this point I think my stomach is trying to eat itself and with that depressing thought I flew into the night.
***
I flew high up but the night air was colder the higher I went. It was a tradeoff of safety verse being cold. I chose safety but my resolve is weakening. After an hour of flight the town is much closer. I can make out the walls they use to keep us safe, little dots that move back and forth that are probably the guards and dim lights from fires coming out of a few houses. I flew higher when I got closer to the wall. I was so cold I was shivering nonstop but I had to get past the guards undetected and then find my house.
It was easier than I expected. We live I the poorer side of town so there was not much in the way of light. This was a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because I could fly lower without being seen and a curse because it was harder to make out details which slowed me down. It was not until late into the night that I saw my house. I landed hard and knocked into the door making a racket. I dematerialized my wings with a thought and when the door finally opened I collapsed into my father's arms.
Acquired Endurance Skill 1 / 200
I saw the announcement and I gave my father what I hoped was a reassuring smile and then passed out.
Chain Mission
Returning Home: Complete
Rewards – 20 XP
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