Chapter 166 - Cilca
The large lizard was about to snap Florencia's head from her body when a ball of water shot directly into the lizard's face. The water ball made the lizard grunt and took a few steps back.
"I'm here, you ugly beast!" Christina yelled. "Water Gun: Triquetra Barilla!"
Three spheres of water formed in front of Christina, forming a triangle. The water balls rotated and fired shots of smaller water balls into the lizards simultaneously.
"You're pretty strong. Are you sure you're only 16?" Elliot gasped in amusement. "Hasty Aspire!"
Elliot dashed through the water balls, avoiding each of them as he approached the lizard in full speed. He slashed the lizard's face before he slid under its chin, thrusting his sword up and pierced his sword through the lizard.
"Hasty Aspire!" Elliot yelled once more. He stomped both his feet on the ground before he blasted himself up, passing through the lizard's head, effectively killing it.
As Elliot landed on the ground, he ran towards Florencia who was shaking in fear. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," Florencia panted. "I just need a rest."
Christina ran up to her and pointed both her palms at the scared Florencia. "Aqua Heal."
Light blue bubbles spewed out of Christina's palms. The bubbles draped into Florencia's body, as it popped, it lit Florencia's skin with a pale blue light.
"You're okay," Christina said. "You're okay."
Florencia couldn't help but feel a tear in her eye fall. She forced herself to move and hug Christina, crying into the younger girl's chest.
"I'm sorry if I acted bitterly towards you," Florencia cried. "I just feel insecure because Elliot and Viper had opened up with you instantly. Something that I couldn't do even after days of being wih them. Maybe I was jealous so I acted that way. I even let my dreams be filled with crazy nonsense. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," Christina said, gently caressing Florencia's back. "I'm sorry too for making you feel that way. Maybe I'm too insensitive. I should've taken into consideration on how you feel."
"No, you're not," Florencia sniffled. "I'm just a spoiled brat. I'm sorry."
"Okay," Christina said. "Everything is fine now."
She hugged Florencia back, continued the caressing of the latter's back as a devilish smirk slowly formed on Christina's lips. A blink of black light flashed in her eyes without anyone else noticing as the smirk etched on her lips was widening.
–
"This place is amazing!" Florencia cheered when they got to the village.
It was a small village in the Westlands. Nefantine was only a few hours walk away from the village, but the village itself is a sight to behold.
Cilca, the Fishing Village, was composed of about 300 people. It was located a few minutes walk away from the sea where the seafood is abundant, perhaps the most abundant area of seafood in the kingdom.
Though it wasn't famous for being a tourist attraction since all one can see are fishermen, going on boats and into the vast waters. The village was only inhabited with fishermen and not a lot of people in the kingdom wanted that field of work, thus the small population.
"There are a lot of people in the city centre," Elliot said. "I wonder what's it about."
"Psst." They heard someone call out from an alley. "Hey, the bandits are going to round up the villagers for the daily collection of tax. What are you still doing here? Hide!"
"Oh, so the bandits caused this ruckus," Elliot said with a smirk. "Let's go pay them a visit, shall we?"
–
"Where is your village head?" a man with a bald head and a scar in his right eye growled. "We need the 100 daily gold tax since we rule your village. Where is it?"
"We don't have it," a woman, who was the village leader, cried. "You took a lot from us already. We don't even have food to put in our table. We can't afford any more tax."
"But we can't just walk around, ruling everyone without pay can't we?" the bald man said. "Give us gold or we'll have your heads!"
"We will give you double tomorrow," the woman cried. "I swear, we will give it to you. We just need more time."
"Our husbands are at the sea, fishing as much as they could to give you the tax. They're tired already," another woman said. "They need a rest. It's been four days since we kept on giving you the tax."
Looking at it closely, the villagers who are being rounded up are all women. It was because all men who is not a toddler are required to participate in the fishing. Even young boys as early as 5 years old are in the boats, pulling nets along with the fishes from the blue waters.
"My 7-year old son had already drowned because of the raging waters, we can't have this anymore," another woman sniffled, her tears falling in her eyes as she remembered the bitter day of her son's death. "He was only so young."
"We don't care about your sentiments. What we want is gold–"
A gold coin was shot directly into the bald bandit's face. The gold had hit his face so hard, it made his nose bleed and one of his teeth to fall.
"There's your gold," Elliot said. "I have more if you want."
The bald man growled in anger. He took his sword from another bandit and raised it, "Why you– men, kill him!"
"Listen you Adventurers wannabe," Elliot growled in anger, walking to the platform where the man stood. The women in the crowd parted to make a path for him to walk on. "You do not treat people like this just because you have a bit of power. This is not how things goes, you dipsh*t."
"Oh, no, he's angry," Florencia sighed. "He'll break loose again."
"Why?" Christina asked. "What happens it he get angry? He goes on wild mode?"
"Something like that," Viper replied, awkwardly grinning. "I don't think he needs our help now."
"Elliot definitely does not need our help," Florencia chuckled.
Viper laughed lightly in agreement, "I think the bandits need it more."
Red sparks of electricity traveled throughout Elliot's body. He clenched his fist and returned his sword to his scabbard.
"Oh, going to fight all of us without your little sword, huh?" the bald bandit snickered. "Aren't you a bit too proud?"
"Am I?" Elliot quirked his brow up. "Let's just see."
"Why you little sh*t!" the bald bandit growled. "Men, get him! Tear him limb from limb!"
Elliot took a few bounces on his ankles to prepare.. "I guess we'll really see how this goes."