'Shit!' thought Kay.
It wasn't like the pair could run away. Considering the knight's build, he could outpace an elderly man and an overweight person. Their only option was to hide.
With mere seconds to act, he grabbed Sanson's hand and led them several yards away, settling behind a particularly large bush.
He gave thanks to the night vision spell. It gave them those precious moments of foresight they'd needed to leave the campsite. Now, they just had to wait until the man left.
The knight had entered the clearing, approaching the bonfire with heavy steps. His metallic chest piece and leggings clunking with each movement.
Kay tried to steady his frantic breathing. They had a fair bit of distance from the man, but he wasn't taking any chances. Exposure meant instant death.
The menacing man stood still, staring out the ground. Kay wondered what he'd found when panic set in. He'd left his suit jacket lying by the fire.
Suddenly, the man called out.
"Is anyone there? I assume you heard the god's message. We have less than 24 hours to reach the tower." he said, his gaze scanning the neighboring trees and bushes. His eyes pierced the direction they'd hidden in, but with only the fire light he failed to catch them, crouched in the darkness.
His voice was friendly, though Kay easily saw through his lies. Kay used that exact tone when dealing with customers he didn't like. It was an overly good natured voice built upon malice.
'Deceit from a knight?' thought Kay. It seemed unfair. Knights were supposed to be chivalrous and strong. Cunning was supposed to be for people like him, who had no other assets to speak of.
The man continued shouting to the unknown presence, his next victim.
It was obvious that someone was in the vicinity. Fires didn't conveniently come into existence and clothing didn't rain from the skies. He'd probably followed the smoke to find their campsite in the first place.
"I can provide protection, and I know the way to the tower. Please show yourself."
Based on his choice of words, he only knew of one of their existences. It turned out to be incredibly lucky that Sanson had fallen asleep without a bed. One of them would be harder to find, and less appealing prey.
If Kay had correctly identified the man's goal, then there was no way he'd ever leave if he found out there were two people hiding. He'd run out the clock until they'd be forced to make a move.
Minutes passed. The knight seemed done with his coaxing. His expression darkened as he aggressively tugged the jacket/pillow into one of his burly hands. In quick succession, he used his drawn sword to stab the stuffed cloth several times. With each wound, handfuls of leaves spilled from its innards.
He searched several places he thought were likely hiding spots. Looking behind trees and above in the branches, in walls of vines, and within several bushes he found nobody.
It was too time consuming to search everywhere, so he eventually gave up after slashing deep gashes into several innocent trees.
'Yikes! It looks like this knight has some anger management issues.' Kay sincerely hoped he didn't have to deal with him in this trial or anywhere else in life for that matter.
Lastly, he made one final act of pettiness. By the handful, he scooped mounds of dirt into the campfire, smothering the crackling flames. Then, he left, though Kay noticed he did so in the direction of the tower. Maybe he'd already located it. So, that was one thing he hadn't lied about.
Kay looked over at Sanson who looked absolutely defeated. Eyes sunken and mouth hanging slightly open, he looked despondent. The progressively worsening state of the trial seemed to sap the old man's energy.
Kay wondered what his own face looked like. In addition to the time limit and great distance they needed to cover, there was now a sword-wielding maniac heading the same way as them.
Time passed. Sanson broke the silence.
"What should we do? We don't have much time left," he whispered frantically, perhaps worried that the knight still lurked nearby.
"We could wait until he finishes the trial," said Kay.
"And what if he stays near the tower until the last second?" Sanson retorted.
"How much magic can you use? You could fight him off."
Pessimistic attitude aside, the mage's complexion did look better after some sleep. However, his shoulders slumped while answering.
"Not in my current state. One big spell is all I have left in me."
"And that's not enough? I've seen you scorch an elephant," Kay playfully clapped Sanson on his robes.
The mage pushed the hand aside, springing to his feet. His green, jewel-like eyes boring holes into Kay. They looked damp, like he was on the verge of tears.
"I can't aim properly, alright!" he shouted.
"What do you mean? I've seen you cast spells, and they've always…"
"The silence and night vision spells are one thing. They're quick and simple to cast. But greater elemental magic takes time and requires precise control to aim properly."
He waved his arms around wildly, knocking off his wizard's hat. Underneath heaps of silver hair were braided tightly in crowns behind his head, framing tan-pointed ears.
"I'm old, Kay! My eyesight is dim." he pointed to a tree a couple feet behind where Kay was sitting. "Even that tree is grainy. I can barely see its colors, much less its shape."
"You must have a pair of glasses, right?"
"Not here. I don't sleep with them on. I remember falling asleep in my bed, and then I wound up here, carrying only my staff that I slept with." His arms limply clutched his cherished staff for support.
Things had gotten complicated. Kay played the worst case scenario in his head. After exhausting heaps of energy advancing through the jungle, they'd find the warrior lying in wait. Of comparatively small size to larger animals, the man would be a hard target for spells.
Anything Sanson cast from long range was likely to miss. Alternatively, casting from close range would be a guaranteed hit with the wide aoe, but would almost certainly result in the mage facing the knight's blade. In those circumstances, the casting time would be interrupted by a deadly stab or slash. Furthermore, he only had enough mana for a single attack. Not good.
Kay subconsciously scratched his head, a habit he'd developed as a kid. At school, he'd run his fingers through his hair when dealing with difficult test questions. After several strokes he'd arrive at the answer, but not this time. This wasn't something he'd studied before. Magic? Survival? Murder? These were all unknown quantities to him. He was stumped.
It was weird, though. Kay's situation was far worse than it'd been last night, when he had previously despaired. Back then, he'd spent all day bumbling around the forest like an idiot. There wasn't a single thing he could take pride in.
Today was different, though. He'd met Sanson, killed a deer, and avoided a suspected murderer. Each small achievement was of great value to him; they were each a self-awarded medal he could wear with pride.
He knew the exact look on face. It wasn't sadness or despair. His blue eyes reflected Sanson, who'd abandoned all hope of victory. Gritting his teeth, he knew the look wasn't handsome or even cool. Pathetic was the correct word. His doughy face had twisted into a sneer.
"Uh, are you okay?" Sanson asked, sounding concerned.
He was an overweight loser in life. The only caveat was: he hated to lose. His fight was going to be desperate and ugly, but he was sure of one thing: victory.