Chapter 21 – Rescue mission – part 1

Lunchtime arrived, and the line was still there.
The cook asked for more help, and the Guild Master called a group of Adventurers that finished eating, and with the help of five new helpers, things were starting to get better, and they were finally able to thin the line down at every minute.
Two hours after, Koyaga told them that every order was finished, and while the Adventurers left to the main room to drink free ale as payment, the big cook and the Guild Master sat on a chair in the kitchen, visibly exhausted.

Nozomu was at the stove, cooking red tomatoes to make more sauce, and humming a tune. Seta Azusake raised his head from the top of the table and asked, “You are not tired? I can barely move my head!”

“I am a bit, yeah, but I have to get this ready because the sauce is ending and we may need more for tomorrow morning if a lot of people come like today. Better to be prepared.”

A noise coming from the main room reached the kitchen, and Taisetsuna appeared with a worried expression, “Guild Master, Miss Koyaga is calling for you! There is a couple asking for help!”

Nozomu wondered what might have happened for Taisetsuna to look like that, so he asked for the cook to have a look at the boiling tomatoes, and followed the Guild Master.
In the main room, there were a few Parties of Adventurers, averting their eyes from the conversation at the reception desk, and from the crying couple.
Nozomu approached Taisetsuna and noticed that she was clenching her fists and biting her lower lip. He stood silent, listening.
The Cat-kind couple was asking for help to save their two daughters that were kidnapped from their home outside the City, early that morning. A group of Goblins attacked them before sunrise, and took the two girls with them, one with fourteen years old, and the young one with six, together with two horses and three cows. The couple took most of the day to walk to the City, to ask for help.

Nozomu frowned and looked at the Adventurers, wondering why none of them came closer to offer their help. Then, he heard the Guild Master speaking, “I am afraid but there is so little we can do. Adventurers work for money, and they follow the Quests that customers create. They don’t work for free, and if you don’t have enough money that is worth it for them to risk their lives in a suicidal mission, there is nothing I can do! You should contact the City Guards for them to send a platoon to deal with those Goblins because Goblins breed too fast and if they are not dealt with before their numbers become too high, everyone in this City will be in danger.”

The Cat-kind woman spoke between her sobbing, “We went first to the Guards… the moment we arrived this City… They said… it’s too late… that they are most probably dead… But I know… my daughters are still alive… please, please help them!”

Something snapped inside Taisetsuna, and before she even realized what she said, the words came out of her mouth, “I will go get them. If the Goblins attacked before sunrise, they can’t be far, probably they are in the nearest mountains, considering they had to drag the horses and the cows with them.”

She then looked seriously at Nozomu that shrugged after a quick decision, “You know I got your back, no need to ask. How far are we from those mountains?”

“Probably at one hour and thirty by horse, but it will be less for our Unicorns because they are way faster than horses, so I think we will need less than an hour.”

The Guild Master opened and closed his mouth a few times until he was able to speak, “You will both die! Just the two of you? Are you nuts? I won’t allow it!”

Nozomu frowned at him, “Did we ask for your permission, by chance? We just work here, you don’t own us! I hereby give you a heads up that we will be leaving sooner, today! Instead of staring at me like that, you should be the first to go get your gear and follow us, or do you really want to live forever? A couple is right in front of you, asking for help to save their daughters, and instead of organizing a rescue mission, you tell them to go call the City Guards? If the Priest was here, he would be halfway to those mountains by now!”

Nozomu nodded at Taisetsuna, and they stormed to the stairs to grave their weapons and fighting clothes from their bedrooms. In seconds, they returned, carrying a bag and the weapons, and as Taisetsuna threw her apron to the counter, Koyaga came out from her room, carrying a one-shoulder bag and her sword, and she shouted to the Guild Master while running along the corridor after the two youngsters, “You take care of things around here, I have some Goblins to kill! I am going to borrow your horse!”

As they rushed through the kitchen to get to the back garden, Koyaga tapped her brother’s back, “Save one pizza for me, brother, I am going to have some fun!”

Before Seta Azusake could ask where she was going, Koyaga was already in the back garden, shouting at Nozomu that she was going to get a horse from the stable and would meet them at the front gate of the City.
Taisetsuna gave a push to Nozomu, that jumped to his white Unicorn’s back and while Taisetsuna was jumping to Furnace, Nozomu tapped the neck of the frowning Unicorn that was frowning back at him, “Don’t you look at me like that! We are going to save two kids! You either run the fast as you can, or I will smack your head as many times as necessary! I don’t have time to argue with you, Rampage!”

Sensing the urgency on Nozomu’s voice, the white Unicorn ran ahead, straight at the door on the fence that Koyaga left open with Furnace and Taisetsuna right on his tail.
As Rampage ran along the main street, his horn was shining with crackling lightning, and the sound mixed with the strong light coming from it was more than enough to make people open a path for them, but still, Nozomu was shouting like a maniac, for people to move to the sides.
Behind them, Taisetsuna was looking around, making sure no one stood in her way, as Furnace ran at high speed. Koyaga joined them, riding an unsaddled horse and grabbing the horse’s mane while shouting for him to run faster.
Near the front gate, a group of soldiers stood in Rampage’s path, but they were blown away by a huge lightning ball that the angry Unicorn shot at their feet.

As Rampage was crossing the still open gates, Nozomu shouted to the two surprised guards stationed there, “We are going on a rescue mission! Out of my way!”

Taisetsuna and Furnace followed him, and Koyaga was right behind, after kicking a City Guard that was near her, still looking at the two Unicorns running. As soon as she exited the City, her thundering voice was heard by Nozomu that was already more than five meters from her, “Don’t wait for me! Go straight ahead to the mountains on your right! I will cover the entrance to make sure you don’t get surrounded when I arrive! If you face more than you can chew, retreat and I will join your attack after we regroup and prepare a strategy! Now run, you fools, run!”

Nozomu leaned on Rampage’s back and while tightening the grip with his thighs, he was also grabbing the long white mane with both hands, doing his very best not to fall.
Taisetsuna and Furnace were right behind them, with Taisetsuna praying to God Raluth for the two girls to be alive until they arrive.
…

Almost one hour since they left the City, the range of mountains was in sight. Taisetsuna shouted for Nozomu to slow down, and she went ahead with Furnace because her Cat-kind eyes were way better than his.
A quick search and Taisetsuna noticed a single Goblin near the large entrance of a cave at more than fifty meters that seemed to hear the noise of the hoes of the Unicorns running on the prairie that led to the mountains because he got up from the floor and was looking around while sniffing the air.
While Taisetsuna was gathering Magic in her hand to strike the Goblin before he raised the alarm, a tiny electric ball came from her right side, went straight ahead, and hit the Goblin straight in his head, killing him instantly.
Taisetsuna kept the Magic in her hand ready for another target, and she looked behind, noticing that Rampage was staring at the mountain with his eyes semi-closed as if he was fully concentrated while Nozomu was still doing his best not to fall.
At almost thirty meters from the entrance of that cave, Taisetsuna told Furnace to slow down, and signalled Rampage to follow them, and both Unicorns trotted, trying to put their hoes over the grass, avoiding making noise by stepping on empty soil or rocks.
At ten meters, Taisetsuna stopped Furnace and jumped to the ground. She opened the bag she was carrying on her back and quickly put on her chest plate, metallic gauntlets and boots, putting in the bag her usual sandals. She tied the sheath of her sword at her waist, sword in one hand, Magic on the other, and the tail wrapped around her dagger. She ran to the right side of the entrance, and Nozomu joined her, already with his gauntlets, the buckler, and the sword breaker. As Taisetsuna was about to whisper for him to follow her, a noise of something flapping came from above them.
They both looked up at the same time that Rampage threw an electric ball over the entrance, and Furnace threw a Fireball. Pieces of little roasted bodies and tips of feathery wings fell over Nozomu, and he wondered what those were.

Taisetsuna waved at the Unicorns with a big smile to thank them, and explained, “Fairies. It seems there was a nest of them in a hole above us, and they were about to attack us. See why Unicorns are so expensive? They are amazing in a Party. They are very intelligent, and they act on their own to protect their friends. We can enter without worrying about waiting for Miss Koyaga because those two will protect us here.”

“So, how do we do this? We ran inside like crazy to call their attention?”

“We run because we must find those girls, but we have to be careful not to make too much noise. You go ahead because some Goblins can spit Magic Fire. They are like Magical Beings, so they can’t harm you, but their maces, or rocks they use, can hurt you, so be sure to use that buckler of yours. I will be right on your heels, and I will try to kill as many Goblins as I can. I will guide you because those things smell really bad and my nose is better than yours.”

*The next chapter was rather difficult for me to do. I don't like to write about kids suffering, but it is needed for Nozomu and Taisetsuna to grow.*