I wasn't actually going to kill them. I don't think I was even capable of doing something like that. They didn't know that though. As Alder and Stolas attacked the other two bandits, I pressed my flute to my lips and started to play. I haven't tried to use music as a weapon since I accidentally killed all of those fairies. If I focused, I could just knock down the bandit. I didn't want to explode his head like last time. And unlike last time, I wasn't filled with the fear of a sudden death at all.
"You think some music can- woah!!"
The purple staves that flowed out of my flute wrapped around the man's body. It squeezed him tightly before shoving him backwards and onto the ground. Two eighth notes floated above his head. They started hitting his head in time with the song. I glanced over at Alder. He had knocked the thug to the ground and wrapped in vines. He clapped lightly.
"Good job, Cahira! Excellent use of your magic!"
"Thank you!" I lowered my flute. "I think I'm getting-"
"You nosy pest!"
Stolas always scolded me about not staying focused. It was a bad habit that plagued me everywhere I went. I remembered during lessons with my brothers and sisters, I would get in trouble for daydreaming and not paying attention. And, of course, the times I got distracted in battle. My magic had dissipated as soon as I stopped playing. The man lunged at me and tackled me to the ground, his hands wrapping around my throat. My flute flew from my grip and skidded away from me.
I tried to push the man off of me. I could feel my throat forcefully constricting as I lost the ability to breathe. It didn't last long. He was pushed off of me by a flurry of green. I sat up with wide eyes. Alder had shoved the man hard into the ground, gripping his shoulders. He slammed him back down into the ground again and again. The man that Alder held down escaped from the vines. Before he could attack Alder, I grabbed his ankle.
"Oh, no you don't!!"
A sharp whistle pierced through the chaos. "Stop!"
I looked up. A group of guards was running towards us. The thug Stolas was handling tried to leave. "Let me go!"
Stolas grunted and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "Nope!"
The thug tried to move from my grip. I dug my nails into his skin and laughed. "If I go down, you're going down with me!"
There were about five guards in total. Two of them apprehended the ponytail thug. One grabbed the short one, and then another grabbed the last thug. I sighed in relief and stood up. I was almost worried that someone would get seriously hurt. I dusted off my skirt and looked for my flute. Before I could reach for it, one of the guards grabbed my wrist.
The guard put both of my hands behind my back. "Under the authority of the king, you're all under arrest for causing public disturbance."
"Get your hands off her!" Alder growled.
"What did we do wrong?!" I tried to pull back. "We were trying to stop these guys!"
"She's lying!" The ponytail said, his eyes wide. "Look at her! She's a war elf! She just wanted an excuse to fight!"
My voice went shrill. "Excuse me?!"
"It's true!" said another thug. "They attacked us out of nowhere!"
"Don't lie. I'll cut your tongue out." Stolas shot back.
"Threats will be added to your jail time." A guard narrowed his eyes. "Watch your words."
Everyone started talking over each other. Alder looked fuming. This wasn't helping over at all. I looked over at Malvolia. Flops had somehow made it over there in the chaos. She was nestled in Malvolia's arms. The Divine Sister met my gaze. A shiver ran through my spine as she winked before dragging the woman over to where we were. Malvolia let out a wail, tears flowing down her cheeks. That made everyone shut up. The guards looked surprised, like they didn't even know she was here.
"Oh, Empyrians! What a sinful display!"
The guard who was holding me pushed me forward slightly. "D-Divine Sister! Do no fret. We will make sure these crooks are punished."
Malvolia let out another wail. "No, no! You are blind, guard. We were suddenly attacked by these sinners. And it was not you who think it was. It was them! they wanted to rob us and this poor soul."
Malvolia pointed out the thugs. The guards hesitated before letting go of me. I picked up my flute and wiped off the dirt. No dents or scratches! I put it back in its slot on my belt. Alder was by my side in an instant. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and brought me closer to him. A wave of relief washed through me. I was afraid Alder was going to attack the guards if they didn't let me go.
The woman slowly stepped forward. "Th-Those men tried to take all of my money."
"What a shameful sight." Malvolia sighed, wiping away a tear. "I will pray for swift atonement and adequate punishment."
One of the guards nodded. "Thank you for clearing things up, Divine Sister. Ma'am, please come with us. We'll file a report."
"But what about them!?" The short crook yelled. "They were attacking us!"
"Please forgive us, guard." Malvolia bowed her head. "My dear friends were just trying to save us. Forgive their aggressions."
"Be careful next time." One of the guards said. "We won't be as lenient next time. Thank the Empyrians that you were lucky and had a Divine Sister with you."
"Good acting skills." Stolas mumbled. He crossed his arms. "That'll come in handy."
"Used it all the time when I was training to be a Divine Sister." Malvolia wiped away the rest of her tears.
The guards dragged away the angry and grumbling bandits past the kingdom gates. I moved away from Alder and started to follow them. They crossed over the gate threshold and eventually disappeared from my view. There was a moment of hesitation. It almost didn't feel real. I was afraid if I took one more step, then I'd wake up, back at home. Stuck where I've always been. I looked back at Alder. He gave me an encouraging smile. One step. Just one more step. Then I could believe that I finally did it.
As soon as I stepped into the kingdom, it was like my world changed. The cobblestone streets were filled with people all going about their day. Some shopkeepers cleaned in front of their business. Kids played and weaved between the adults. A large cathedral sat in the center of the kingdom. It was so large, it almost blocked the view of the castle. I let out a breath. And then I let out all of my excitement.
"We're here!!" I squealed, jumping up and down in place. "I can't believe it!!"
Stolas winced. "Damn, Cahira. Can you be any louder?"
I grabbed Stolas's shoulders and shook him. "You don't understand! I've been waiting my whole life for this! I've been cooped up in my village surrounded by battle hungry elves for way too long. Don't ruin this for me!"
Stolas tried to shove me away. "I get it! How did you get ten times more annoying as soon as we stepped in here?"
"I can't contain my excitement!!"
"You're being loud and clear. Way too loud."
"Kyaaah!!!"