Knight and Wand

Chapter 3: Isha's Arrow
The next few days passed without any hope or excitement.

In the meantime, captives were still being dragged out by mercenaries one after another and sold to various buyers. The number of people in the cage where Leon was located was gradually decreasing, and he knew that sooner or later his turn would come.

On the day when Leon was bored and carving the sixth stroke on the ground, he noticed two mercenaries walking towards the cage where he was, mumbling something incomprehensible, one with a jubilant expression and the other with a grief-stricken look.

(Uriah) "This, this, and this. Just these three. I don't want more. Open the cage quickly. I have to go back before the city gate closes at night." The Kantadar mercenary, with a look of joy on his face, pointed to the three teenagers who happened to be sitting together in the cage.

(Uriah) "The price of these three slaves is enough to pay off our debts. Remember, don't bother me in the camp again. I will never gamble with you again in my life." The mercenary who opened the cage complained angrily and pushed open the cage door.

Although Leon didn't understand the conversation between the two foreign mercenaries, he could still understand what they meant by ordering him to go out after seeing their gestures and hearing their rude scolding many times.

As he stood up, Leon looked at Lohak and Azerien who were also pointed out.

Seeing Lohak's hateful eyes, he was startled, fearing that this guy would get carried away when he went out, so he slowed down his pace and quietly reminded Lohak: "This is not the right time. If you act rashly, everyone will die."

Lohak frowned and didn't answer, but he nodded after all.

(Uriah) "Fuck it, what are you talking about, you little brat? Shut up and walk away!" The Kantadar mercenary who opened the door naturally didn't understand the language of the Serians. He impatiently dragged Leon out.

Leon lowered his head and did not resist, allowing the mercenary to add another chain to his shackles. He, Azerien and Lohak were tied to their respective shackles with a chain by the mercenaries one after another, and were strung together into a team by the chains.

(Uriah) "Follow!"

The mercenary, who was delighted with earning three slaves for nothing, took the shackle key from another person, then pushed the leader Leon hard, causing him to stagger, and signaled everyone to move forward along the camp road while cursing.

Leon now had neither the ability nor the mood to resist this humiliation. He could only continue to suppress his anger and speed up his pace as much as possible to avoid being kicked a few times.

Pass through the gaps between the barracks and walk through the camp gates guarded by soldiers.

The road they took made Leon's eyes open wider and wider unconsciously. Not long after, they were pulled out of the heavily guarded mercenary camp by the mercenaries.

The team connected by iron chains walked along a muddy path that was full of footprints but could hardly be called a road. There was a field all around and woodlands in the distance. Leon walked barefoot with difficulty, taking one deep step and one shallow step, but he didn't care about the pain in his feet because surprise had already surged into his heart.

He didn't know where the mercenaries next to him were taking them, but he realized that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for!
After leaving the barracks guarded by mercenaries, the only thing that could restrict their freedom was that one soldier and the shackles on everyone's hands.

His heart was beating nervously. Leon tilted his head and glanced at Lohak behind him. Sure enough, there was a spark of eagerness in the other's eyes.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned around and continued walking, quickly glancing at the Kantadar mercenary escorting everyone behind him.

The mercenary wore an iron-banded nose helmet on his head and a set of chain mail with embedded iron plates on his body. He had an armed sword on one side of his waist and a dagger on the other side, and he also carried a round shield on his back.

Looking at the opponent's weapons and armor, Leon gradually calmed down. Facing such a fully armed mercenary, if the three of them did not have weapons, it would be difficult to threaten the opponent even if they released their imprisoned hands.

Besides, whether it was himself, Lohak or Azerien, they had all experienced hunger and imprisonment for so long that they had very little physical strength left. In this situation, it would be tantamount to seeking death for three unarmed teenagers to rashly confront the mercenaries.

What if we just run away into the wilderness?
Even less feasible.

Leon looked down at the iron chain connecting everyone on his shackles. This thing was used to prevent slaves from escaping. The iron chain connecting three people was not long, and once they started running, they would easily fall into a ball.

Besides, how could three hungry teenagers possibly outrun the mercenaries? Even if they didn't fall, they would be easily caught up by the mercenaries with swords drawn.

Do you want to give up?
But he had finally waited for the chance to leave the cage and get away from the barracks full of soldiers. In this remote wilderness, he could run into the woods and regain his freedom. If he missed this God-given opportunity, what if the destination he and others were taken to was a place with even stricter security?
While he was struggling with his thoughts, Leon took the opportunity to turn a hill and secretly glanced at Lohak behind him again.

When they looked into each other's eyes, they could feel the other's increasingly uncontrollable anger, as if he was just waiting for a signal to join forces. Even if his hands were shackled, this young man who was patient with hatred would turn around and pounce on the mercenary without hesitation.

His sight continued past Lohak and fell on Azerien at the end of the team. The fair-skinned boy was also quietly observing the mercenaries escorting everyone nearby. He almost immediately noticed Leon's hidden glance, and the moment his eyes met Leon's, the fair-skinned boy blinked at Leon's unnoticeable determination.

Without looking any further to prevent the mercenaries from noticing anything unusual, Leon lowered his head again. He had already received the will of the two people behind him. As long as they took action, not to mention Lohak, Azerien would also cooperate with them to the death.

The three of them want to regain their freedom, and now is the time when the possibility of success is relatively the highest.

Even if the probability of defeating the mercenaries is very low, you must still give it a try.

The most intense fight he had in his previous life was just a sword-fighting entertainment in a sword hall. Now he had to risk his life to play Spartacus. If he had known this, he would have learned hand-to-hand combat carefully. In his heart, he finally complained about the life and death pressure that he had no control over. Leon's heart was beating like a drum with nervousness.

Suddenly, a faint breeze blew past him.

——!
There was a barely perceptible movement coming from the wrist.

The gentle clicking sound was drowned out by the clanking of shackles and chains as they moved forward. If the vibration had not come from his wrist, Leon would have almost not felt the sound.

He looked at his shackled wrists in confusion, and could feel that the originally tight and rigid restraint was now much looser.

Unbelievable doubts surged in his heart, and Leon tentatively raised his wrist slightly.
As expected, he didn't feel the restriction of the rivets of the shackles at all. The two U-shaped iron hoops of the shackles were actually pushed up by his wrists, giving him a little space to break free.

The shackles are aging and the lock core is broken?

Is it possible to be so lucky? Just when I was about to fight to the death?

Leon lowered his arms in doubt, letting the iron hoops of the shackles face upwards to conceal the abnormality on his wrists, before he could feel the sudden ecstasy.

A pleasant and gentle girl's voice sounded faintly from Leon's heart.

".You only have one chance."

The sudden voice in his mind really scared Leon.

Who is speaking?

The voice spoke to itself.

".Remember this sign, the Arrow of Isha, and point it at your enemies."

A pair of hazy hands, like phantoms, solidified out of thin air in front of Leon's astonished eyes.

The fluorescent hands gracefully and simply drew a set of simple gestures, and then disappeared leisurely like a dream.

Without caring about being surprised, Leon quickly glanced at the mercenary behind him.

The mercenary was still concentrating on his journey with a normal expression, seemingly unaware of the projection that had just appeared in the air.

Leon breathed a sigh of relief.

--Who are you?

He tried again to question the voice deep inside.

No reply.

After calling out several times, the doubts in his heart were like a pebble thrown into a silent lake, sinking to the bottom, without any response, and Leon had to give up his efforts to communicate. He didn't think it was hallucination, because the shackles on his hands were undoubtedly unlocked by a power beyond his cognition.

So what does the Arrow of Isha mean? Pointing that hand gesture at my enemies?
magic?

The simple memories left by the original owner of the Orion's Son did not contain much knowledge, but as a modern man who had been bombarded with all kinds of fantasy works, Leon was confused but still relied on his imagination from the past to make some guesses.

Perhaps there was another soul-like consciousness residing in this body just like his own. She used a magic-like power to unlock the shackles, which undoubtedly helped him escape.

Leon's eyes gradually became firm. He had no time to have any more unnecessary doubts. Whether there was magic to help him or not, he had to seize this opportunity. At least with his hands freed, his chances of survival increased greatly.

As for the gesture displayed by that mysterious consciousness.
Judging from her literal meaning, perhaps it is a spell in the form of arrow shooting? How powerful is it? Can it penetrate the chain mail on the mercenary? What is the range?

I don't know at all.

His blood and nervous emotions were boiling together, and Leon took a deep breath to make the final adjustment of his heart rate.

The mercenary always walked to the side of the group. He stayed at the end of the team and monitored the three people's progress. Leon knew that his side had no chance to launch a sneak attack from behind the mercenary. No matter who of the three attacked first, the mercenary would have enough time to react and draw his sword.

Then, compared to the two people who are closer to me behind me, I, who am relatively farthest away from the mercenary, am the most suitable person to attract his attention.

A gentle breeze blew through the weeds along the path.

Leon's eyes swept across all the flat places that could be stepped on within a step in front of him.

It's now!

He bent his arms, pushed the shackles away with his wrists and pulled them out, completely freeing his hands from the restraints.

As he stepped forward, Leon suddenly turned around and shouted at Lohak behind him: "Let's do it together!"

With his roar, Leon took the lead and rushed towards the mercenary along an arc to the left front, immediately attracting the mercenary's surprised gaze. The distance was not enough for Leon to touch the mercenary's body before the other party drew his sword. Leon's running was only to lure the other party to face him, creating conditions for the other two to attack from the side.

Although Lohak was surprised for a moment that his companion had undone his shackles, the strong young man, who had been prepared, still turned around and rushed towards the astonished mercenary at the fastest speed of his life.

Azerien's reaction was just a beat slower, as the chains of the shackles on his hands were still connected to Lohak, so he had to follow Lohak's actions and run towards the mercenary.

(Uriah) "Damn it! Are you looking for death?!" Although the mercenary was frightened by the sudden attack of the three slave boys, he did not panic too much, nor did he turn aside stupidly as Leon expected.

He reacted quickly and took two steps back, then skillfully drew out the armed sword from his waist with his right hand. The moment the sharp blade was in his hand, the mercenary stopped and advanced instead, raising the sword with a ferocious look on his face and slashing at Lohak.

Although killing a slave would cause him to suffer losses, the mercenary also knew that only a decisive killing of a slave could scare these daring young men.

Even Lohak, who was filled with rage, felt the chill of approaching death when he saw the sword falling.

Without weapons to block, without armor to protect himself, and without enough distance and space to dodge, Lohak raised his arms in vain. He seemed to see death. His mind flashed the painful faces of his dead parents, the tearful eyes of his sister when she was dragged away, and the bloody flesh when the sword cut off his arm and chopped his head off his neck.
The breeze lingered in the air, and Leon felt as if time had slowed down. He raised his left hand, with the middle and ring fingers bent as in the mysterious illusion gesture, and the two fingers of his right hand formed a sword, with the fingertips pointing far away at the mercenary in front.

Leon didn't even have time to pray in his heart whether this strange gesture would work. In an instant, he felt all the blood in his body rushing to the tips of his left index finger and little finger.

As if guided by an unknown force, my right hand involuntarily pulled back.
Then he saw a miraculous light.

The blooming arrow of light rolled up a wind that broke through the air, and the dazzling flash burst out along the trajectory pointed by Leon's right fingertips.

Fly there in an instant.

The light penetrated the mercenary's right arm—bang—!
The sounds of mincing flesh, breaking bones and cracking chain mail sleeves were clear and sharp, and the Kantadar mercenary's ferocious expression froze on his face.

The sheer force spiraled and tore through the flesh and chainmail, and the severed right arm was thrown into the air.

“Aaaaaa——! Aaaaaah!!——”

The moment the tactile sensation of pain was transmitted to his brain, the mercenary's eyes widened and he let out a shrill scream with an expression of disbelief. He retreated wailing in great pain, holding his only remaining broken arm, tears streaming down his ugly face.

Listening to the mercenary's scream of pain, Leon had not yet felt the ecstasy of a successful attack, and dizziness struck his brain. His eyes went dark and his body collapsed to the ground, and he fainted instantly.
The seriously injured mercenary retreated step by step. Lohak, who had a brush with death, did not wait for the sword to fall. He charged forward desperately, so naturally he did not stop for a single step. The strong young man stepped across the last gap and knocked the armless mercenary to the ground with his solid body.

As a result, Azerien was forced to lose his balance and fall into a ball with them.

The moment the three men fell to the ground, Azerien saw the armed sword falling along with the broken arm. He was the first to react and stretched out his hands to grab the chain as hard as he could.

"-Ahhhh!! You damn little bastards! I'm going to kill you, kill you!!!" The mercenary who was knocked down struggled violently, and his instinct for survival made his fear overwhelm the pain of his torn arm for a moment. In the struggle, he strangled Lohak's neck tightly, and his five fingers were like iron clamps that pinched the young man so that he could not breathe.

Lohak failed to stop the mercenary's dying counterattack in the first place, but he successfully touched the dagger on the other side of the opponent's waist.

Without hesitation, the young man drew out his dagger and stabbed the mercenary's side. However, despite stabbing as hard as he could, the dagger was unable to penetrate the mercenary's thick chain mail and armor lining. Even though the tip of the blade hurt the mercenary, it did not make the furious and terrified opponent show any intention of letting go.

Until there was a pop.——

Blood splattered everywhere.

With a teeth-numbing sound of flesh being cut, the sharp sword tip from below pierced the mercenary's head along his jaw. This fatal blow ended the armless mercenary's final struggle.

The dying mercenary's eyes widened, blood gushed out of his mouth, and he twitched a few times, then became completely motionless.

Seeing this, Lohak raised his hand to break free from the dead mercenary's stranglehold, and turned his head breathlessly to look at his companions beside him.

Azerien was seen leaning on his side, his bound hands holding the armed sword he had just reached. He turned the blade upside down, and was able to successfully stab the blade into the gap that the mercenary's chain mail and helmet could not protect during the entanglement in a prone position.

"Huff, huff. Good job." Lohak helped Azerien get up by supporting himself from the corpse, and thanked him while calming his breathing.

Azerien stood up with difficulty, looking at the dead mercenaries, feeling somewhat relieved for having survived the disaster, and also a little happy for having successfully avenged his family.

Now that the crisis was resolved, the two men suddenly reacted and looked at Leon who was lying on the ground not far away.

The young man who had just shot out arrows of light from his hands like a god was now lying on the ground motionless.

"? Hey! Leon! What's wrong with you?" Lohak hurriedly wanted to rush over to check on his companion, but was tripped by the iron chain.

"Wait a minute, find the key to open the handcuffs!" Azerien was much calmer than him. He squatted down and fumbled around on the dead mercenary's body, and soon found the simple cylindrical iron key.

The two men helped each other unlock the shackles, and after regaining his freedom, Lohak hurriedly ran towards Leon, whose life or death was unknown.

Azerien did not rush to go with him to check on his companions. Instead, he squatted down and began to strip the mercenary's body of chain mail, clothes, and all useful things. He knew that the escape had just begun.

I’m a newbie. I saw a contract notification from the editor in the background after writing only 10,000 words. I feel a little overwhelmed. I hope I can finish writing this story.

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(End of this chapter)