Chapter 3: Magic is easy to use? (2/2)

But at that time, Arima still didn't know the real implication of his power nor did he know the main reason why he had it.

While mumbling to himself, he rushed toward the cart because the horses hadn't stopped but accelerated instead. He used two other arrows to cut the ropes tying the horses to the cart. The two horses soon vanished in the forest after being freed.

Arima reached the carriage and peeked inside. In there, the four kids were horrified because of the headless corpses lying there, still fuming from the neck. And when they saw Arima, their eyes narrowed in terror. They tried to get away from him even if they couldn't get up because of the shackles.

”[Fulgur Clavem] (Lightning Key).”

A few electric darts floated above Arima's palm then approached the children. They closed their eyes in fear but what they heard surprised them. The shackles that were restraining them fell on the cart's wooden frame, unlocked. They looked at Arima and the older girl among them stuttered.

”Th-Thank you…”

”It's nothing,” he solemnly replied and eyed a few big bags that were there. 'Lucky…' He commented silently. Money was a small issue he was thinking about.

He neared the bags and opened them. There was a bag with food and two others with money, jewels, and ores. Among them, there was also a box with various weapons inside.

Arima grinned. ”[Umbra, Manducare] (Shadow, Eat),” he chanted and his shadow grew darker and bigger until it covered all the bags. They began to merge with the floor; with the shadow. Soon, all the objects present in the cart had been absorbed by the shadow. The latter retracted to Arima and reverted to normal.

This was his spatial magic. Arima actually didn't know the size of the storage but he could absorb anything, even living beings, as long as he provided air, in his body and shadow.

The children were looking at him with strange eyes, thinking that perhaps he had just saved them for that money. He turned back to look at them when he finished and sighed.

”So? What should I do? Someone asked me to save you if possible… do you think you can go back home alone?”

Because of his question, the four elves became aware of the situation they were in. A man had rescued them, but they couldn't return home by themselves. If they were to adventure alone in the woods, they would risk being captured one more time or killed by the danger.

Arima sighed again. 'Well, she asked me… I should take them to her.'

”Okay, wait a minute,” he mused for a moment and called his falcon. He then created another three and sent each of the birds in four different directions. One to the north, another to the east and so on.

Arima wanted to cover a large zone to find Lifa. He agreed to help these children but he couldn't afford to take them with him, so he intended to give the 'escort job' to someone else. And Lifa was the only person available and additionally the elf who asked him this favor.

Five minutes later, one of the four falcons spotted Lifa and Arima was informed immediately. The other birds were dispelled and the last one was ordered to mark Lifa's position.

Arima looked at the elves. ”I'll send you to someone.”

”Someone?” The older girl asked.

”Yes, an elf named Lifa Drein.”

”Lifa?!” The elf shouted and the eyes of the children around her widened.

”Yeah… she's the one who asked me to save you all. Maybe it's you, the friend that she mentioned?”

”Y-Yes, the princess and I know each other since childhood,” she stuttered.

”Oh…” Arima was certainly not prepared for that casual revelation. 'She sure kept hidden critical information,' he smiled. ”A princess, huh?”

”You will send us to the Princess?” The younger boy talked. He opened his mouth for the first time.

Arima looked at him and grinned. ”[Bestia Duorum Gryphem],” the same phenomenon that occurred with the falcons repeated itself. Two balls of electricity formed again, but these were much bigger. The spheres took the shape of a beast with the body of a lion and with the head and the wings of an eagle.

When the shadows covered them and gave them an image, the appearance of the beasts was then fully revealed. Two majestic beasts, two meters tall each, were stamping and howling. The elves gawked at the griffins in disbelief.

”Get on,” Arima beckoned.

The children hesitated but braced themselves and approached the legendary beasts. Surprisingly, the griffins lied down when they got near. Seeing this, they became confident and mounted them.

”Hold tight. You'll fall otherwise,” Arima warned and the four children nodded. ”Good. Gryphem!”

He ordered and the griffins took flight. When they were out of sight, he glanced at the broken carriage.

”[Ignis] (Fire),” he burned it along with the corpses with a fire that also possessed a dark shade. Under the might of his flames, even the bones became ashes.

”[Scintillam Feram],” he intoned and left.