LIGHTNOVELONLINE Pull 4
“This is our chance.” Ave said. “They’re distracted by the statue. We can grab Luke and slip away into the woods.”
“Great plan.” Ash nodded along.
“Summon a knife so I can cut us free.” She pushed.
“Terrible plan.” Ash shook his head.
“Just do it already.”
“It won’t work.”
“Look, you want to save Luke don’t you?” she asked.
“Yeah…” he replied.
“Then you have to do this.” Ave pressed harder.
Ash thought for a second. “Okay. You’re right. It’s up to me to save the day.” He straightened his shoulders against the tree that they were tied to.
“... sure…” Ave said next to him.
“Alright give me a second. I can't move so it is going to be harder for me to concentrate.” Ash closed his eyes. He started collecting his mana. “I’m going to try and do it slowly. Tell me if you get one.” he said.
There was a *Clattering* sound. A knife landed in the soft ground next to Ave’s boot.
Less had been staring at the statute. He started to slowly turn around. In a panic Ave kicked the knife into the bushes. The green scarf wearing bandit looked over at the bushes trying to see if there was anything moving. He didn’t notice anything so he turned back around.
Ave pushed her shoulder into Ash’s back.
he whispered with his eyes closed.
*Clatter*Thud*Clank*
Several more knives fell into the dirt around them. They were too far away for Ave to reach out and grab. There was a *Thunk* as a slim dagger landed on the tree branch right above Ave’s head. She turned around to see another knife land right between Ash’s legs only a hair’s width from his inseam.
*Ka-chunk*
Ash opened his eyes again.
Ash turned his head. A letter opener was stabbed into Ave’s shoulder.
“Holy RNG. Are you okay?” he said.
Ave was staring straight ahead. “It’s fine.” She said through gritted teeth. “My shoulder pad absorbed most of the damage. Now for the hard part. Can you… pull it out?”
“You want me to pull it out?” Ash turned pale.
“Yes. I can’t reach it.” Ave took a deep breath.
“Neither can I.”
“Yes you can. If you use your teeth.”
“Oh...” Ash looked apprehensive. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Unless you want to try summoning another bunch of knives.”
Ash looked down at the knife planted between his legs. “Okay. I’ll try to grab it.”
Ash tried to crane his head back and bite down on the handle of the letter opener. It took a few tries as he gently kissed the handle. Finally he reached out his tongue, wrapped it around the grip, and then pulled it into his mouth.
“Ohay. Hi hink I’v ga hit.” he blurbled.
“Good.” Ave was trying not to blink. “Now gently pull it out of my shoulder and drop it into my hand.”
“Ohay.”
Ash twisted his head away from Ave’s shoulder.
*Snap*
Ash looked down to see a five centimeter long sliver of metal sticking out of Ave’s shoulder pad. The brittle letter opener had snapped in the middle.
Ave turned her head ever so slightly to avoid extra movement. “Did you get it?”
“Uhhh… Yesh?” Ash said.
“It doesn’t feel like you got it.” she said.
Ash angled his head to the side and spit the broken piece of metal into Ave’s hands.
“Wait a minute. This only feels like half. Where’s the other half?” Ave felt the letter opener in her hands.
“It’s still very close by. Just… Just cut us free and we can worry about that later.” Ash told her.
*Cut*Cut*Cut*
#
Luke was on the ground panting for breath. He balanced on one elbow while he waited for his vision to clear.
Gilt Homage was standing next to the godly statue. He hesitantly extended his hand towards it but lacked the confidence to touch it with his filthy mortal fingers.
“You are clearly one of the chosen ones.” Gilt said.
“Well it is the statue… of a god.” Luke wheezed.
“Not that. You my boy. The gods have favored you with the highest quality of summons possible. You must be favored by the divines.” Gilt said respectfully.
“That’s what they say…”
“That’s why you need to be king.” Gilt exclaimed.
Luke groaned as he sat down on his knees. “But I don’t want to be king.”
Gilt put his hands on his hips. “Nonsense. You can’t possibly know what you don’t want. Listen to me Belt Trousers the Gods would not have chosen you if you were not up to the task. Just give it a chance. Once you sit on the throne I’m sure that you’ll like it.”
“I don’t want… to sit on the throne.” Luke ineffectually waved his hands at Gilt.
“Yes you do. Now come along my once and future king.” Gilt walked over to Luke and grabbed him by the shoulder.
“He is not going with you.”
Ave stood up next to the tree she had been tied to. She kicked off the last of the ropes that had been wrapped around her. Ash was still trying to untangle himself.
“Who said that?” Gilt looked around.
“I am done being ignored!” Ave asserted.
“Oh right. The Guard girl. Listen my dear this is no longer something that you need to concern yourself with.” Gilt waved his hand at her. He turned to one of the bandits. “Less if you would be so kind as to escort them away from here.”
“As you say sir.” Less aimed himself at Ave. He brandished his airbow in one hand and tossed his green scarf over his shoulder.
With one smooth motion Ave raised her hands above her head, wrapped her fingers around the handle of the knife embedded in the tree above her, and then snapped her arms back down. The flying dagger pierced the loose end of Less’s scarf as it hung in the air right above his shoulder. The knife continued on. It stabbed into a tree behind him yanking the rest of the scarf tight around his neck.
“Huuugh!” Less pitched backwards on one leg as he tried to keep his own scarf from strangling him. Ave took three quick steps forward. When she reached the bandit she spun her heel into the back of his knee. Less felt his last leg go out from under him and he dropped to the ground.
Less’s arms flailed in the air as he fell. One hand still held his airbow. A metal dart was fixed to the tip of the weapon. Two curved triggers were attached to the handle right below the dart’s channel. In a panic he squeezed both of them at the same time. There was a hiss of air. The dart fired out.
*Pa-Kang*
The dart ricocheted off of the face of the grand statue and flew into the bushes.
Paladin Gilt’s face twisted in horror as he watched the nose from the statue of the god Eictor crack, crumble, and then drop to the ground next to his feet.