Tier 3+ - Accidental Champion (Book 2) - Chapter 68 - Escorting a Princess

Xavier did not want to spend two days in this place. He needed to know exactly how to get to the Kingdom of Galavantian, so he was willing to follow the princess’s honour guards as they led the way, but he wasn’t willing to make this take any longer than it needed to.

He was foolish to think he could blast through the last floors in a mere matter of hours. Foolish to think that some complication wouldn’t arise. The difficulty level of this challenge might be well below him, but that didn’t mean he could rush through it in seconds or minutes. At least, not the first time around.

No point worrying about how long this will take, he told himself. I just have to push through it.

And so he did.

The forest was too overgrown, thick with trees and vines, for them to take horses or other kinds of mounts, which made traversal even more challenging. He used Charon’s Scythe to clear the way before them. It could cut through more than just the vines and thick underbrush. He could clear trees from their path with one swift swing.

He didn’t even need the scythe-staff for that. He could simply cast Heavy Telekinesis, but it felt better to keep his hands busy on this journey.

Though there were gaps, clear areas within the forest with nothing to impede their travel. This was where many of the dangers lay—the beasts that ambushed them from every side. Wolven much like the ones he’d encountered during the waves of the Endless Horde. Large silver bears that could shoot beams of energy from their chests. Flying monsters that looked almost like small dragons, capable of breathing fire from a distance of twenty yards.

Xavier found none of these dangers threatening. They were far too easy to kill. He left the fighting to the other members of his party. He hadn’t been intending to give the others time to gain more levels and ranks, but there didn’t seem to be a better way to go about this journey. He could make the honour guards and the princess sprint through the trees, but the guards, even though they were leading the way, didn’t seem to have actually been through here before.

One of the archers would often scramble up a tree, their bow slung over their back, until they were high enough to see through the thick canopy and check the location of the sun and, when night had fallen, the orientation of the stars. Then they would keep on course or change direction if necessary.

All the while, Xavier noted landmarks. A large tree that was missing branches on one side and was partially blackened as though it had been struck by lightning. A dark cave with strange markings on the stone outside of it. An old brick well that the princess seemed baffled at, as supposedly this part of the forest had never been inhabited.

He burned these and other things into his mind so he would know his way the next time they came through, including the auras of the different beasts they encountered in the forest, so he could identify them from afar, all the while trying to puzzle out his first problem—how were they supposed to get back to the Staging Room door and allow the princess to reach Galavantian’s court in time?

He knew the Portal Stones would be the answer on his second time through here. He had a plan for that. But the stones couldn’t help him this time around. If he were to have left one of the stones by the Staging Room door to activate a portal when they reached their destination, then fast travel back from the neighbouring kingdom, how would he get the second Portal Stone back?

It couldn’t be taken through the portal.

Maybe I should have left the others in the forest city.

He supposed there was still time for him to send them back, even if that looked strange to the princess and her honour guard. Xavier was confident he would be able to race back to the forest city and the Staging Room door fast enough to give the princess plenty of time to enter court after he and his party left, so they didn’t accidentally complete this floor before they wanted to.

They were trekking through the night when this realisation came to him. He told the others. Howard, Siobhan, and Justin glanced at each other, eyebrows raised in slight confusion.

“What if we can’t find our way?” Justin asked. “How will you know when we return?”

Siobhan perked up. “The Communication Stones.”

Xavier nodded. “Exactly.”

They were walking through a clear area of the forest, huddled close. The princess was in front of them, the archers and mages behind. Xavier sent out Soul Strikes whenever he needed to, clearing beasts from the immediate area so they wouldn’t interrupt their conversation.

He took out the Communication Stones. He hadn’t actually tested them before. He willed them to be connected—it only took a quick thought.

Communication Stones successfully paired.

He passed one of the stones to Siobhan.

[I wonder if this will work…] Siobhan’s voice sounded in his mind with a quizzical tone.

[Yes, it definitely worked,] Xavier replied.

Siobhan’s eyes widened and she smiled. [I wonder how well we can control what thoughts we send through.] She tilted her head to the side, her forehead creasing. [Did you hear what I said about the elephant?]

Xavier blinked. [What elephant?]

Siobhan nodded. [It looks like we have to will the thoughts to each other—they need to be directed at the other or they won’t send.]

Xavier tested that theory.

I could use a cup of coffee right now, he thought to himself.

Nothing registered on Siobhan’s face. He asked her, and she said she hadn’t heard anything. He smiled conspiratorially.

“You two done with your private chat?” Howard asked with a smirk.

Siobhan nodded, her face slightly red. “Yeah, we’re done.”

“You guys should head back, then,” Xavier said. “Let me know when you’ve returned to the forest city, and I’ll let you know when I’m heading back.”

Howard patted him on the shoulder. “Sounds good.” He glanced around at the trees. “Hopefully we won’t lose our way.”

“In theory, we should have left a trail behind us,” Siobhan said. “All we’ll need to do is follow it back.” She let out a sigh. “If I were able to summon my allies over longer distances, this wouldn’t be an issue, would it? We could have left one of the Portal Stones by the Staging Room door, activated the portal when we got near enough to the Galavantian Kingdom, and have me, Howard and Justin head through. Then I could have summoned you back once you deactivated the portal.”

Xavier had thought of that option earlier, then discarded it, knowing she wasn’t ready. “You’ll be able to do such things in the future. I’m sure of it.” He bobbed his head toward the way they’d come. “You three should head back. And move fast. I’m going to… change the pace.”

Howard looked curious. “What are you going to do?”

Xavier smiled. “Something drastic.”

~

Xavier spoke with the princess, telling her a white lie.

“You have been summoned back to your realm? That’s why the other Champions left?” Princess Narella had her hands folded in front of her, her chin raised, a regal, defiant look on her face. “You would abandon us in our time of need? I knew calling on Champions would be a risk—”

Xavier raised a hand, halting her next words. The woman’s eyes widened, clearly not used to someone treating her in such a way. “I am not abandoning you. I will see you safely to your destination, and you will have plenty of time to spare. On one condition. You do not step into the safety of the Galavantian Kingdom until I return to your city. I shouldn’t need very long.” He cocked his head. “An hour should be more than enough time for my return.”

The anger in the woman’s eyes turned to confusion. “An hour? How could you only need an hour? It is impossible to traverse the length of the forest in that time!”

Xavier smiled. “When we reach Galavantian, you’ll know more of what I’m capable of.”

He called the guards to a halt. The warriors who were leading the group glanced at Princess Narella, looking for approval, not stopping until she nodded her approval.

“I am sorry about your forest, Your Highness, but it is the only way I’ll manage to get you there with time enough for me to return.”

“My… forest?” the princess asked.

Heavy Telekinesis!

The trees ahead of them were pushed back, flattened as though some horrendous hurricane had ravaged the land. The sky above became visible, the stars leading their way clear.

Xavier looked to one of the archers, the man who’d been up and down the trees, helping guide their way. “Which stars do I follow?”

The man took a step forward. One hand was wrapped around his bow, the other was free at his side. With his free hand, he pointed up at a star—the brightest one in the sky. “That is Ilnan. Our world’s North star.” He pointed to another, less bright star, in a cluster resembling a triangle. “That cluster is the Pyramid of Ishtu. The Western star.” He cut the air with the flat of his palm between Ilnan and Ishtu. “We travel between the two, northwest, toward the human realm.”

Xavier gazed up at the night sky. He couldn’t help the feeling of awe that overtook him. This… this felt right. Navigating a forest on an alien world. Escorting a princess to another kingdom to stop an assassination…

He was living what he’d always read about.

He turned to face Princess Narella. “Do you trust me, Princess?”

The woman raised her chin. “I do not know if I have any other choice.”

He shook his head. “You don’t.”

She stared at his hand. “Why must I take your hand?”

“Because we are about to travel much faster than you ever have.”

No more would he wait for others to lead him. He’d thought of this option before and refused it, but he wanted to save this woman’s world, even if it was simply one timeline in an infinite number of universes. These were the people in front of him. The ones he could see. They were not his enemy. If he were able to save them without risking the lives of those he cared for, then he would.

Princess Narella didn’t take long to consider this. She took his hand. He pulled her in, then picked her up. The woman gasped but didn’t protest. Internally, he couldn’t help but find the humour in this moment, as he was holding her in what was commonly known as the princess carry.

“Onward, Your Highness.”

He dashed through the forest, bounding from one tree to another. He hadn’t tested whether he could Soul Step while holding another person, so he did that now. When he’d flattened the forest—destroying several miles worth of trees—he’d taken out a great many beasts. He felt their souls. Sensed their presence in the distance.

Soul Step!

The world shifted.

The princess remained in his arms, a wide-eyed look on her face. She clutched tighter to him. He kept bounding forward. Every minute, when the cooldown for the Soul Step imbued ability ended, he cast it again after sending out a Soul Strike to kill a far-off beast that he could sense the aura of.

Before dawn came, Xavier Collins and Princess Narella were standing at the edge of the great forest, looking over at a large, stone castle five times the size of Queen Alastea’s. The castle was at the top of a tall rise, in a strongly defensible position.

They have the high ground.

He knew the way, now. Knew exactly how to get to the Galavantian Kingdom. He looked at where the sun rose, and though the stars in the sky were no longer visible, he closed his eyes and knew where they’d been.

When I come next, I’ll use the sun as a guide.

“The King of Galavantian awaits your warning, Princess Narella, and you have a full day to spare.”

The regal woman looked slightly flushed. She ran her hands down her armour, as though she subconsciously thought she was wearing a dress and was trying to smooth the lines. “Thank you for delivering me here safely, Champion Xavier.” She smiled. “I believe you will be able to return to your summons in time. I will wait two full hours before I take another step. I am sure that will be plenty of time.”

She looked to her side. A chair materialised out of nowhere. She sat, and the next moment a footstool materialised as well, and she put her feet up. When she raised her hand, a book appeared.

Xavier raised an eyebrow. At least she’ll be waiting in style.

He said his goodbyes to the princess, then turned and headed back through the forest. He was a little worried that he hadn’t heard from the other members of his party, so he contacted Siobhan as he ran.

Xavier and the other members of his party ended up reaching the forest city at the same time.