26 The Queens Journey, pt. 6 (2/2)

Things clicked into place, and Jin quickly looked for his bag, crunched into a corner along with the others.

He walked towards it, shaking and moving side to side as the carriage's rhythm became chaotic.

Underneath his sword and his dagger, he found it.

”Shoot them!” Decena urged, she didn't need to tell him twice. Though, a small logistical problem presented itself. If Jin tried to lean out without holding anything, he'd fall into the precipice resting beside them.

”But, how am I going to see them?” He gestured to his right, and Decena seemed to comprehend.

”I'll hold you, Ker'Tallen, help!”

With a nod, the reptilian stood and grabbed onto a part of Jin's shirt. Decena grabbed onto the other side and gave him an encouraging nod.

Surprisingly, a small hand clasped itself onto the back of Jin's belt. He looked down and saw Mariana's desperate eyes looking back at him.

Breathing in deep, he readied an arrow and let his momentum fall onto the open air. As they said they would, his companions held him back, keeping him from falling even as the cart itself rumbled and tried to throw them off with him.

However, now that he could see the enemy forces, the last thing on his mind was retaliation.

Several black carts, almost a dozen, each one decked out with spikes and a strange golden sigil, were staring back at him.

To the sides, beastmen carried their own bows, launching them at Jin as soon as they saw him.

Even as they attacked, Jin couldn't respond, for he had seen something far more shocking.

Leading them, standing next to their front chauffeur, was a wolfman larger than anyone else he'd seen.

He had to have been eight feet tall, and his black-coated arms were as thick as tree trunks. A scar ran down the side of his face, passing next to a single, determined red eye.

The visage shook Jin to his core.

”What are you waiting for!?” Decena yelled. He shook his head and tried to steel his nerves.

One second later, he held an arrow pointed at the wolfman leading the black vehicles.

Letting it go, the wolfman smiled as the arrow flew wildly, missing its mark.

Jin scolded himself. As an arrow flew by his head, followed by several others, he understood he had to make every second count.

Especially as these enemies were getting closer.

The sun shined on his face, warming his cheek as he let another arrow fly.

Again, he missed, but this time, the arrow got closer.

Confidence began to find its way into Jin's heart, and with that small victory, he locked onto the frontmost cart.

Before he could shoot again though, an enemy arrow went in his left hand, which he was holding out in front of his head.

Crying out in pain, he reflexively let his bow go, dropping it and watching it disappear quickly as the cart moved forwards.

”Shit, shit!” He cried as the others pulled him back in.

”Theresa isn't here to help right now.” Decena noted to herself. Immediately, she snapped the arrow in half, and grabbed it by the arrowhead. ”Sorry.” She said, before sliding it out of Jin's hand.

It was the most painful thing that had ever happened to him.

He screamed, a sound that was muffled by the caravan's growing speed.

With the arrow out of him, he held back tears.

An orange spark flew by their cart, and Jin heard what sounded like an explosion to the back, away from them.

Distracted, he looked back outside, first to the enemies. One cart had fallen off the cliff side, burnt into a crisp.

He looked over to the queen's cart, and saw Theresa holding her arm out, extended in the Griffin's direction.

When Jin understood what she had done, an idea appeared in his mind.

He looked back at the Griffins, noting that they had about six horses leading the first cart, where that monster of a man stood, taunting him.

Jin reared his uninjured, right hand back, and pushed it forward, releasing a [Fireball].

The only part of Jin's faculties that hadn't improved on this journey, was his magic. Regardless, he didn't need to kill the horses, just annoy them.

He missed, but he reared his hand back and tried once more.

Each [Fireball] cost around 30M, Jin had 120M in total. Having launched two already, he was at 60M.

And he felt it, as his muscles grew sore, like he'd been exercising this entire time.

Still, he had to try again. Theresa was still casting spells, but they needed her to be at full force should this fight continue past the mountainside.

So, aiming his hand at one of the front horses, Jin squinted and breathed in deep.

He pulled back, let another [Fireball] go, and hoped for the best.

And it worked, as he heard a horse neigh painfully.

Looking up, he saw how, although he hadn't seriously injured the animal, it did force the enemy caravan to slow down.

Just in time seemingly, as they were starting to pull out of the mountainside.

Green replaced the warm cream-colored dirt, and from here, all Jin could see ahead was tall grass, and the object of their mission waiting patiently.

No forest, no oasis, no lakes. Just plains and Nova.

As the caravan began to speed up, Jin felt like they had already won.

The closer they'd get to the capital, the closer they'd get to potential help, he understood.

But, just as he began getting his hopes up, once again, something happened to bring his thoughts back down to reality.

A metallic-like screeching rang out ahead.

In front of the caravan, on the plains they were headed for, several blue vortex-like entities appeared out of nowhere.

Jin saw Decena silently gasp, immediately, he understood what was happening.

”Impossible…” He muttered.

It had to have been a joke.

But sure enough, several large forms started taking shape.