By the time we reach the foothills near Uncle Thenarius’s cabin, the party outside has dwindled. Only a few figures remain, but I don’t recognize their kind. Two of them stand outside the front door of the cabin while two more pace behind the cabin. None of them seem to notice us peering at them over the last hill before reaching the cabin.

They have a monstrous appearance. More monstrous than my own. Jagged, toothy grins. Ragged, knotted hair. Skin blacker than a shadow. Bare bellies that jiggle like a bowl of butterbug jelly. Something is seriously wrong with them.

I squint to try to see through the windows of his cabin, but I can’t make out anything inside. What do we do? I turn to my sisters.

“Sorrowe, what do you make of this?”

She studies the situation for a few moments. “We could go around to the other side of his cabin using the hills for cover and quietly take out the two patrols in the back. Or we can wait til nightfall when we’ll blend in with the darkness and try to sneak into the cabin. Either way, I don’t think we should approach them head-on.”

Hope chimes in. “Yeah, usually I’m all about making friends, but these guys don’t look so nice.”

While I agree that we don’t want to just walk right up to them, Sorrowe’s plan to “quietly take out” the guys in the back doesn’t sit right with me. Maybe we can subdue them peacefully. They don’t look like the kind of people that can use magic. Or even know what magic is.

I scratch my horn while considering Sorrowe’s ideas. “Do you think we can take them out quietly and peacefully?”

Sorrowe looks away. “Uhh… well… maybe… I don’t know…”

I’ve spent a lot of time practicing fire-forms and earth-forms, but I’ve always used them on targets and dummies. When I set Dad’s pants on fire at eight years old, the impact of the bolt left a burn on his leg for a week. And that’s before I learned to put any real force behind it.

“Sorrowe.” I wait for her to look me in the eyes. “Do we really need to attack these people?”

“We don’t even know if they are people. Look at them! They’re practically monsters. Do you want to take that risk?”

Hope pipes up. “We’re practically monsters, too.”

Sorrowe and I turn to Hope at the same time, stunned by her observation. How many times have we been judged because of our appearance?

Sorrowe doubles down. “It’s not just what they look like — it’s what they’re doing! The guys in the back are patrolling like they’re expecting someone to attack. The two standing outside the door aren’t just enjoying the night air. The only reason they’d be there is if they’re standing watch. People or not, they’ve taken over the cabin.”

She pauses long enough to look back and forth between Hope and me before adding, “We should do whatever we can to make sure Uncle Thenarius is alright.”

I nod and put my hand on her shoulder. “What do you need us to do?”

***

We circle the hills to get to the opposite side of Uncle Thenarius’s cabin. Dusk falls as we get into position. From this vantage point, and with the light of the cabin, I can see another one of the creatures inside, and — Uncle T!

A tall, slender man with peppery black and gray hair that extends from his head in long, jagged patterns. Skin as white as the moon which now shines down on us. Arms folded behind the chair, likely in bonds. A stream of blood trickles down his cheek. A few splotches of red on his otherwise white shirt.

Rage builds in my gut as I think through the motions of the forms I’m about to cast. Hope uses a protective light form to cover us all in a thin barrier that will block a few minor hits. Sorrowe leads her galviron spear through a few martial katas to warm up.

I take a deep breath as I look at us preparing for a confrontation. The gravity of the situation hits me like a sack of grain. I’ve fought dangerous animals like snarlbeasts and fleshawks before. I’ve been stealthy enough to sneak out of the house at night many times. I’ve been to this cabin enough to know the lay of the land. But I still feel unprepared.

Sorrowe and I crawl to the top of the hill to get a final look at the situation. The patrols are facing the cabin. Now’s our chance. I look at Sorrowe who nods with fire in her eyes. How can she be so confident? What if we mess up? What about Hope? What about —

“Let’s go!” Sorrowe jumps up and takes off down the hill.

My heart pounds in my chest as I follow behind her. I close my eyes for a moment and concentrate on the earth form I’m about to perform. With each step, I pull the magical current of the earth into my body. The pooling energy creates tension in my legs, making it harder and harder to run. I need to pace myself or I’ll charge it too quickly.

When I open my eyes, I see Sorrowe run ahead of me as my heavy legs slow me down. She reaches one of the patrols and leaps onto his back, pounding his head with the butt of her spear. She lands on his collapsing body as the other patrol turns around.

I raise my right knee as high as I can before slamming my foot into the ground. A crack in the ground travels from me to the patrol, and when it reaches him, the ground collapses beneath his feet as he falls into a newly created pit. The ground seals over his head, muffling his cry for help. He should have enough air for a few hours. I think. I didn’t finish reading that kata scroll.

With a glance and a nod, Sorrowe and I congratulate one another on our successful takedowns before tiptoeing over to the cabin window. I hear a heated conversation between Uncle Thenarius and one of his captors. This one is wearing a dark green cloak and a chain necklace made of… is that galviron? He clutches a spear that looks a lot like Sorrowe’s. More galviron?!

“The Rockbiter Clan requires your humble estate, wretch.” He grins as he stoops to meet Uncle Thenarius’s face with his own. “As of now, this cabin and all the land surrounding it belong to us. Don’t take it personally. We don’t want to be down here with you scum either.”

Uncle T wriggles in his chair. “If you don’t want to be here then why did you come? I’ve always been respectful of your land. Even when I hunt in the mountains, I stay away from your territory. I’ve never once harmed a rockbiter or your land.”

“Ah, you may not have harmed us, but at present, we are temporarily… displaced. Yes, the proud rockbiters were humbled by a great beast of the air. It’s only a matter of time before we muster our strength and take back The Crag, but we have mouths to feed, and you just so happen to have enough food and land to support us while we regroup.”

I hear a loud thump behind me. The ground where I sank the rockbiter pulses before a large, dark hand emerges. He’s getting out! I didn’t know he could do that. I really should have finished that earth-form kata scroll…

I grimace before tugging on Sorrowe’s sleeve and directing her attention to the hand.

Her eyes grow wide. “You were supposed to take him out! Go stop him!”

I shake my head. “I wasn’t supposed to have to touch him! I thought the pit would hold him until we were done.”

She rolls her wide eyes and motions for me to follow her. She leads me around the side of the cabin and points at a window on the second story.

“Let’s go through there. When the big guy leaves the room, we can bust Uncle T out and make a run for the hills. He said they’re just interested in the estate, right? Hopefully, they won’t miss Uncle T himself. Hope can provide support from the hills if they chase us.”

She gives me a boost up to the second-story window. Once inside, I hold her spear on one end while she uses the other end to scale the wall. I don’t know how she does it. Oh right: no magic, martial prowess, etc.

We step softly through the room. It’s filled with pelts, stuffed heads, and other hunting trophies. Uncle T’s bow and a quiver full of arrows hang on the wall as well. I sling the bow and quiver over my shoulder before leaving the room. This may come in handy. A commotion downstairs grabs my attention.

“Sir! Two shadowy figures attacked us. Blarg is out cold. The earth swallowed me up before I could do anything. I punched my way out, but I didn’t see which way they went.”

Despite my racing heartbeat, I can’t help but grin at the phrase, the earth swallowed me up. Looks like I was right about them not knowing about magic.

The green-cloaked one scowls and glares at Uncle Thenarius. “Friends of yours?”

“No one lives within miles of here. I have no idea who — or what — attacked you. Maybe your new friend, the beast of the air, wants to finish what he started.”

The green-cloaked one steps back and growls before turning to his subordinate. “Get the other two and figure this out!”

They run out the front door and discuss the matter with the two guards in front of the cabin. After a moment, they split up and begin patrolling the outside of the cabin. Now’s our chance to free Uncle T.

Sorrowe taps me on the shoulder. “I’ll cut his bonds. You watch the door and blast ‘em if they come inside. Once he’s free, we’ll wait for a gap in the patrol and make a run for it.”

I think through the motions for a few of my heavier fire forms. I may need them. I could try the earth-form trap again, but I may not have time to build enough energy to use it. At least not until we’re running away…

We crouch and walk down the wooden stairs to the den where we find Uncle T sitting with his eyes closed and head tilted back. As we approach, he opens his eyes and jumps.

“Girls, what are you doing here? Don’t tell me you were the shadowy figures!”

I smile nervously and give a small wave. “Hiiiii… yeah, we’re here to bust you out! Actually, we came here to ask you for your help, but it looks like you need ours first.”

Sorrowe sighs from behind his chair. “I can’t cut these manacles. They must be made of galviron. Where do they get all this stuff?”

Uncle T shakes his head. “Rockbiters. They mine it in the mountains. Why they came down, I’m not sure. They said something drove them out. Anyway, don’t worry about me — get out of here!”

Sorrowe rears back with her spear. “Not a chance.” She thrusts it down onto the back of the chair, breaking the support and freeing Uncle T’s arms from the chair. “We’ll get those manacles off later. Let’s go!”

I sneak over to the back door and peek outside just in time to see two Rockbiters disappear around the corner. I don’t hear anything from around the other corner. I motion to the others to follow me. We take off across the open field toward the hills. After a few seconds of running, I hear a grunt behind me in the distance.

“There! After them!”

Time to put those heavy fire-forms to work. Our few seconds lead gives me time to set up a flame wave. It should be big enough to hit both of them at once. I extend my index and middle finger into the traditional fire-form shape. I move rapidly, swirling my hands around one another, intermittently touching my fingertips together. My eyes and horns emit a red light that grows in brightness as the energy builds.

I wait until I see the whites of their eyes and then unleash the magical energy. A wide torrent of fire bursts out from my hands. I’ve built enough energy to hold the flames for a few seconds. I take a step back and prepare to run away once the fire starts to dwindle.

The rockbiters raise their arms to their face as the flames wash over them. I smirk until I notice that the flames are bending around them. The fire is avoiding them! It surrounds them, but it doesn’t actually touch them. My eyes grow wide and my smirk disappears. This isn’t good.

One of the rockbiters takes a step forward. “Puny shadow. You think a little fire will stop the great Rockbiter Clan?” He takes another step, just a few feet from me now.

The light of my eyes and horns swells with intensity as I focus on the flames and cause them to burn hotter. My forehead drips with sweat. My legs shake. My arms tremble. This… is all… I’ve got.

The rockbiter grunts with each step as his forward left hand slices through the flames. He raises a galviron spear with his right hand.

I’ve gotta move!

I tumble to the right just as his spear comes down hard and pierces the earth where I was standing.

I take the opportunity to call for help. “Sorrowe!”

I tumble to the left as another spear swing grazes my leg. A trickle of blood runs down my leg as I stumble toward the hills. The spear made it through Hope’s barrier. How?!

I stumble toward the hill and raise my hand toward Sorrowe as I hear the rockbiter preparing to strike. I close my eyes as I fall to one knee. This can’t be happening. This can’t —

Swoosh!

“Argh!” The rockbiter takes a step back.

I glance behind me to see an arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

I look to the hills. Uncle Thenarius! He’s standing with his bow drawn, ready to loose another arrow. How did he get the galviron manacles off?! His eyes sear with confidence as he releases the bowstring. The arrow finds its mark as the rockbiter tries to stand, striking him in the leg and ending the chase.

I take this opportunity to stand up and limp toward Sorrowe. When she reaches me, she takes my arm over her shoulder and helps me walk. I see Hope peering over the top of the hill.

The rockbiter lets out an exasperated grunt as he limps back toward the cabin. “Don’t show your face around here again, scum!” Another rockbiter appears from the side of the house and runs to his ally.

Sorrowe and I move hastily up the hill, causing my leg to sting with pain.

How did he resist my magic? Everything I’ve ever pointed fire at has burned, many times on accident. Yet this… rockbiter stood in the middle of my flames as if they were a soft rain. I shudder at the thought.

As Sorrowe and I crest the hill, Hope runs toward me with her horns, eyes, and hands already alight with restoration magic.

Broken manacles dangle from her belt.

Next Post in this series: Break of Dawne: Chapter 7

Previous post in this series: Break of Dawne: Chapter 5

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