As I sat behind Johan on the horse, the rhythmic clop of the hooves beneath us was a comforting sound that grounded me. The cool air brushed against my skin, and I could smell the earthy scent of the path ahead. After being on the road for about an hour, suddenly a sharp sound sliced through the calm—a twang, followed by an unsettling silence.
"Johan!" I yelled out, feeling him tense in front of me. Slight panic surged through me when I heard the Johan choking loudly. The horse beneath us began to rear, its hooves pounding the air, and I clung tightly to Johan, my heart racing.
Before I could fully grasp what was happening, we were thrown off balance. I felt the ground rush up to meet me as we tumbled down, the breath knocked from my lungs. The world around us felt chaotic, the sounds of the horse panicking and arrows whistling through the air creating a cacophony of fear.
I could sense the movement nearby, the unmistakable presence of others closing in. Thieves or merchants, I thought, but their intent felt anything but friendly.
I used my mana tracking to find Johan down on the ground choking, feeling a arrow infused with plant magic had pierced his throat and plants had began to take root trough his airway as i felt his life drain away "Johan please get up!" But it was to late, the last word he uttered was to run. But i was determined to stand strong. I focused mana inward, drawing on the magic that flowed through me and the forest, preparing to defend myself against the impending attack.
I closed my eyes, relying solely on my other senses not trying to look at the blurs around me. The air was thick with the remnants of magic, and I used my mana tracking to feel the energy flowing through the trees and bushes. Staying low behind a fallen tree, I could sense the vibrations of movement nearby, counting the mana signatures that brushed against my awareness.
There were six of them. I felt the presence of three level 7 mages, their energy flickering with uncertainty, and two level 9 mages who seemed to be struggling to maintain their focus. But there was a level 5 mage that could end up a problem. He's got a dark aura lingering in the air, but instead of fear it was rage for Johan's death and excitement to fight that i felt.
As I focused, I could hear their voices approaching, low and conspiratorial, oblivious to my presence. I felt a surge of determination; I was unarmed, but I could make a move. If I could just catch the lower ranked mages off guard and take them out. I could snatch a knife and turn the tide in my favor. For the rank 5 mage. Just as I began to formulate my plan, a shift in the atmosphere caught my attention. The level 5 mage suddenly paused, his tone sharp and alert.
"Wait," he said, his voice slicing through the tension. "There's someone else nearby. I can feel it."
My heart raced at his words, but I stood firm. ("Do i remain hidden?, or maybe, yea that could work it's my only shot".) I concentrated on the magic within me, readying myself for the bold plan i was about to try and pull off, and since i was still a child to everyone around me this could work.
So i stepped out from behind the tree, pretending to surrender with my hands raised slightly. "Alright, you got me," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the laughter echoing around me. The merchants gathered, their voices dripping with condescension.
"Look at her, just a tiny girl," one sneered. "What's she gonna do? Throw a tantrum?"
Another chimed in, "She's just a kid! We should send her home to her toys."
Their laughter rang in my ears, but I took a deep breath, focusing on the energy swirling within me. As they approached, I could feel their excitement, thinking they had me cornered. "C'mon, little girl, why don't you come here and play?" one of them taunted.
But I wasn't afraid. I whispered the incantation for my spell, "Celestial Rift," feeling the power build inside me. With a sudden burst of energy, I unleashed it, and a rift-like strike shot forward, slicing through the air with deadly precision. The merchants didn't stand a chance; I assume from the sound that they were cut clean in half, their laughter silenced in an instant.
Only the level 5 mage was quick enough to dodge, narrowly escaping the devastating strike. "What the—? You're just a kid!" he exclaimed, disbelief in his voice.
"Yeah, but I'm not just any kid," I replied, my confidence surging as I prepared to rip this mage apart.
As the dust settled and the eerie silence enveloped the scene, I focused my energy again, this time on one of the knives lying on the body of a fallen merchant. I whispered the incantation for "Blade's Grasp," and with a flick of my wrist, the knife shimmered and vanished from the ground, reappearing seamlessly in my hand.
I turned to the level 5 mage, a smirk playing on my lips. "You know," I taunted, twirling the knife casually, "you're going to feel a lot more pain than my teacher Johan did when he shot that arrow through his neck. He didn't even see it coming, thats a real coward way to take out someone ranked lower than you."
His voice trembled, filled with disbelief. "Wait… was that spatial magic? That's impossible! You're just a human child! You look like a commoner at that!"
I could sense the fear in his tone as he realized the truth behind the stories he had only heard whispered in taverns. I stepped closer, feeling the knife's cold metal in my hand, ready to confront whatever came next, even though I wish i could see the fear on his face.
I stood my ground, feeling the tension in the air as I called out, "Get up! Fight me!" My heart raced with anticipation, the energy crackling around us.
I could sense the mage preparing his attack, the rush of wind swirling as he drew back his bow. "You'll regret this!" he shouted, and I could almost feel the force of the arrow as it sliced through the air. The merchant, with fierce determination in his voice, called out, "Gale's Arrow!" as he released the spell. I could hear the whoosh of the arrow cutting through the air, the sound a clear warning of its approach.
With my heightened senses, I focused on the mana, tracing its path with my fingertips. I reached and caught the arrow which was going straight for my head, feeling the vibrations of its energy pulsing through the air. In response, I summoned my earth magic, invoking "Roots of Restraint." The ground shifted beneath me, and I felt the roots surge upward, wrapping around his feet and anchoring him in place. I could sense his panic rising as he struggled against the binding.
"Please, don't do this!" he begged, his voice trembling. "I can help you! I'm a powerful elf!" I could feel my rage building within me, and I channeled "Inferno's Wrath." The warmth surged from my hands, and I directed it toward him, slowly igniting his face. As the flames began to consume him, he screamed in agony, "No! Please! Stop!" His voice echoed in desperation, each cry piercing through the air. The fire spread, and I could hear his screams growing louder, a haunting sound that marked the moment of his defeat as he writhed in pain, letting the flames take hold. The smell of charred skin filled the air, a stark reminder of the power I wielded.
As the merchant's screams faded into silence, a heavy stillness enveloped the scene around me. I couldn't see the chaos, but I relied on my other senses to grasp the aftermath. The acrid smell of smoke filled my nostrils, and I could feel the heat of the dying flames against my skin.
With a deep breath, I focused on the sounds around me. The crackling of the fire was punctuated by the rustle of fabric and the soft thud of items being moved. I reached out, my fingers brushing against the cool, wooden cart. It was laden with food—ripe fruits and baked bread.
"A powerful elf, huh?" I murmured, my voice low and contemplative. "I wonder what that was about. Maybe he was lying? His men definitely did not have good training or instincts; doesn't sound very noble-like. And even then what are elves doing on our continent, did they breach a wall or snuck in to scout?"
I searched for Johan's body nearby, and after i found him. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I casted earth magic, feeling a powerful pulse through my veins, as if that fight had given me slightly more control. With a wave of my hand, the ground began to shift and reshape, forming a gentle mound where I could lay him to rest.
"Forgive me, Johan," I whispered, as the earth molded itself into a soft grave. I carefully placed him within, the magic cradling him as I whispered my final goodbyes. The soil settled around him, a protective embrace. I collected some flowers and rocks to put on his grave as i held in my grief still having guard up.
As the sun set and darkness enveloped me, I set up camp for the night. The crackling of the fire was a somber reminder of the day's events, and as I settled down, I vowed to remember Johan and learn from the mistakes that had led to this moment, "i will not let this happen to mom, dad or Ramon."
As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight warmed the air, but for me, everything felt blurry and indistinct. I stirred, feeling the cool earth beneath me, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Suddenly, a cold blade pressed against my throat jolted me fully awake. My heart raced, but I quickly steadied myself, refusing to let fear take over.
"Who are you?" a low voice demanded, harsh and commanding. "What are you doing here among our dead?"
"Amongst your dead? Are you an elf as well? How did you get into the human continent?"
All the soldiers laugh, "have you been living under a rock girl, the humans, elves and dwarves recently started working together. But seeing a sight like this makes me wonder if you are in support of that alliance."
"I didn't do anything wrong!" I replied, my voice firm despite my small stature. "I was just trying to protect myself!"
The soldiers exchanged skeptical whispers, clearly not believing that a small girl could take on a group of six elves, let alone to such brutality. One soldier stepped back slightly, his eyes widening. "You expect us to believe that?" he scoffed, but there was a tremor in his voice.
"Do you want to find out for yourself?" I shot back.
The soldier hesitated, clearly unnerved by my unwavering gaze. "You're coming with us. We'll sort this out back at our kingdom," he said, though I could see the doubt and fear lingering in his eyes.
As they bound my wrists and put me in their carriage, they buried the low ranked mages and took with them the rank 5 mage, who appeared to not have lied about being important. ("I wonder how they were able to get here so quickly, maybe tracking magic?")
And so i was off now to the elven kingdom, really wishing i was able to see mom and dad again.