by Casey Odell
The men noticed her then, looking at her with the same perplexity Farron had.
“Something is coming,” she gasped. A sharp pain stabbed through her head and she cried out. But before any of the men could act, a dark figure shot out from the forest and rammed into her. It grabbed her, trapping her in its strong hold before continuing through the trees. The world became a blur around her, a strong wind muffling the shouts of the men. Claire struggled, thrashing her legs and clawing at the strong arms around her. It took her a few moments to realize the figure was a man, and that she had experienced this a few times before in the past: the whipping winds, flying, and then she knew exactly what he was.
A Star Child.
The feeling that she got from this one was different, though. Wild and… disturbing. He nearly suffocated her with his power. Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he let her go and she crashed to the ground, her body hitting hard, knocking the breath out of her. She scrambled to her hands and knees, gasping for air, eyes searching frantically.
The man appeared before her, materializing out of a black, almost smoke-like whirlwind. Dressed in mismatched armor, he was thick and gruff, with a scar that bisected his left eye. The shock of gray hair belied his age, appearing no more than forty. But what was most interesting was his mark. Sharp and angular, the glow was dark, almost as if it were shadow instead of light, the edges emitting a sort of deep violet color. It grew wild in places, a few tendrils snaking up past his elbow, just like hers. It took her a moment to notice the faint scars that slashed across the mark in places. Not nearly as bad as hers, but they were there and it looked like they had affected him as well. And by the troubling sensation she was getting from him, it wasn’t influencing him for the better.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice trembling.
He laughed, the shrill sound echoing off the trees, his eyes flashing fiercely.
Claire started to crawl backward, trying her best not to make any sudden movements. He didn’t seem stable in more ways than one. “Did the Syndicate send you?” Though he didn’t look like one of them, who else would have sent him? She doubted the General could find and recruit one of her kind in such a short time. But if not a Syndicate pawn, where did he come from?
Another round of laughter confirmed her suspicion. Not the Syndicate then.
“You,” he said, growing sober faster than was normal. He stared at her with wide eyes as he stalked toward her.
Claire scrambled to her feet, drew her dagger, and held it up in front of her in defense. But with a flick of his right hand, a bolt of energy struck the blade, sending a sharp shock into her hand and up her wrist. The dagger flew from her grasp, disappearing into the darkness. She immediately thought of the stiletto blade tucked into her right boot, but that would be just as useless as her dagger at the moment.
She backed away slowly, her eyes focused on him. There was no use in running. He would catch her before she could even take two steps.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said, closing the distance between them a little too quickly.
Claire gasped and tensed up, her body unmoving. His power emanated from him, making her skin crawl. She could barely breathe again.
“I’ve felt you. You were in her protection for too long…” His gaze wandered over her, not in a leering way, but like he was curious and somewhat in awe. “You…”
He reached out to her, but she jerked away, which only seemed to anger him. His moods changed too rapidly to keep up with.
“But there is something holding you back,” he said, his eyes searching. “What is it, what is it…?” His gaze focused on her necklace, the blue gem, and he cocked his head to the side, making a tsk-tsk noise.
He reached out for the pendant but Claire knocked his hand away, taking another step back. “No,” she protested.
That angered him even more. He flew into a rage suddenly, launching at her. Claire screamed as he tackled her to the ground. His hands tore at her until they found the necklace, and with a quick yank, the chain broke, stinging the skin on the back of her neck.
The man stood, holding the gem up in the dim light of the moon. “Troublesome thing, keeping you from your true potential.”
Claire clambered to her knees. “Give it back!”
“This?” he said, arching a brow and bending low. He held the necklace up just out of her reach. “Not until you show me what you are truly capable of. Then I will decide what to do with this. And you.” He laughed, throwing his head back.
Claire couldn’t see what was all that humorous. She leaped up, reaching for the necklace while he was distracted. But he’d been prepared. He yanked the pendant just out of her reach once again, only this time, he struck her with his power, sending her back to the ground. Claire cried out as her body writhed in pain, the strong shocks stabbing through her from head to toe. She rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows as she struggled for breath, coughing.
The man leaned over her and grabbed her braid, pulling her head back. “Let me see what you can do,” he whispered into her ear. He released her as he stood, then kicked her side, rolling her onto her back so she looked up at him. He held his right hand out to her, his hand forming a claw. A dark ball of light started to form in his palm. “Show me!” he growled.
He shot the magic at her and she managed to roll away just in time. Dirt showered down on her, the ground buzzing with his power. Claire got to her hands and knees, her eyes wide, her pulse wild. Her body trembled with fear. Had he just tried to kill her? He definitely wasn’t playing. He was going to get her powers out of her even if it did kill her.
He raised his right hand up again, another ball of magic forming quickly. Claire leaped to the side again as he threw it at her, just barely avoiding it. “Show me!” he shouted.
“I can’t!” she screamed back. She looked at her necklace grasped in his left hand. She didn’t know what prospect frightened her more: him or her powers surfacing again.
“You want this?” He held the necklace up again, taunting her. “You’ll have to take it from me.” He formed another sphere and threw it at her.
Claire scrambled to her feet, out of the way. He shot again, only this time it didn’t miss. Fiery heat enveloped her as she stumbled, gasping as the shock of pain stabbed through to her bones. Her breath caught in her throat and she saw bright stars in her vision. She coughed after a few moments, relearning how to breathe. She managed to prop herself up again on trembling hands and knees. Even though she was afraid to use her magic, she had to do something.
If he wanted to see her powers, she’d just have to show him. At this rate, he was going to kill her anyway.
She searched inside her for the familiar thread. The action came easier to her now. She formed her own sphere of energy, casting a blue glow through the forest, before quickly getting to her feet and facing him.
He smiled. “That’s a start.”
She threw her ball at him, but he moved faster than she could see, disappearing into the darkness. Spinning around, she searched the forest. The shadows seemed to grow darker, more ominous.
His laugh echoed through the trees, surrounding her. Was that a magic trick as well? She quickly formed another orb, preparing. A slight burning started around the mark. She didn’t have much longer. Hopefully, Farron and the men would find her soon. What they could do to the man, she didn’t know.
A shadow rushed at her from the darkness. Claire turned and threw her magic at him, but he knocked it away with ease, flinging it into the night sky. He crashed into her and tackled her to the ground, his haunting laugh enveloping her.
“Yes! Yes!” he said between laughs. “Show me more!” He straddled her, his knees trapping her, and then he reached down, one hand gripping the base of her neck while the other slammed down onto her forehead. Hot pain lanced through the back of her head, her vision blurring.
“No!” she shouted, clawing at his hands. He was the last person she wanted inside her head,
rummaging through her memories, searching for her power. A scream bubbled up from her throat as he plunged down through her mind with reckless abandon. The pain in her arm grew in intensity, like fire spreading along the mark and scar.
“There it is!” he exclaimed, a sense of awe in his voice.
Claire could feel her body start to grow limp. A familiar sensation came over her, one she hadn’t felt since that night in a cave with great blood-red eyes in the darkness. Her magic fought for control over her body, but somehow she resisted. She couldn’t lose control. Not again. She didn’t know if she could survive it, or who she might attack.
The man grunted and then suddenly his presence was gone. Cold air rushed down her throat again as she took deep breaths. Slowly, she was able to push her magic down again and gain control. The man knelt next to her, facing toward the trees, and slammed his hands onto the ground. A wall of earth sprang up from the ground just in time to block a ball of fire. Flames licked around the sides, catching the dead leaves. A gust of wind rushed by as the wall quickly sunk back into the ground, extinguishing any fire left behind.
Farron stood at the edge of trees, bow already drawn again, the arrow head engulfed in a blazing orange flame. “Get away from her!” he growled.
The mysterious man just laughed, standing from his crouch, unfazed.
Claire rolled to her side to look at the elf. “He has the necklace!” she managed to squeeze out.
Farron’s eyes flicked down to the pendant still in the man’s grasp, then back up to his face. He remained quiet, his expression unchanged.
“I misjudged your power,” the man said, serious once again. “Perhaps I should have dealt with you first.”
“You should have dealt with only me.”
The man laughed again and rushed at Farron. “Without your little gift, you’re no match for me.”
Farron shot the arrow but the man deflected it with his own magic, sending a great fireball up into the air. Claire had to shield her face from the heat. The air crackled as Farron drew his daggers, the lightning-like energy snapping down the blades.
Claire looked around quickly but didn’t see any signs of the other men yet. She wasn’t certain if them being present would be a good thing, though. It was up to her to help Farron the best she could until… what? She didn’t know. But she couldn’t leave the elf to fend for himself. Not when she was the actual target. This was exactly the type of situation she’d wanted to avoid.
She got to her knees and searched for her power again. It came quickly, and stronger than before, a little too much so. What in the world had he done to her? The pain and warmth returned to her arm, but she pushed through it. She formed another ball, this time larger than any she’d made before, and watched for an opportunity.
The man pummeled Farron with magic attacks, but the elf managed to avoid them with relative ease— for now at least. He chased Farron into the trees and Claire followed behind. A few moments later she had her shot and took it, flinging the sphere at the man while he was mid-strike. Her magic hit him, catching him off guard. He stumbled, yelling out, though it didn’t seem to have much of an effect on him at all. He turned and slammed a fist onto the ground. A fissure opened up in the earth, and the deep chasm raced quickly toward her. Claire yelped and scrambled out of the way, falling to her hands and knees.
The distraction was enough for Farron to get in a blow. Or almost. The man disappeared in a smoky whirlwind just as Farron sliced down with one of his daggers. He whirled around, searching the darkness, but the man was nowhere to be found. Farron rushed over to her, grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her to her feet.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, looking her over quickly.
She shook her head, brushing his hand away. They didn’t have the time for her to explain. Her magic still bubbled up inside of her, looking for a way out, a release. “He has it,” she repeated. Fear continued to build up inside of her. If they couldn’t get the necklace back, what would happen to her? The forest was quiet, but Claire had a feeling it wasn’t over quite yet.
The laugh echoed through the trees again, nowhere and everywhere at once.
Farron tensed before turning to scan the area.
“He is special to you, I saw in your head,” the man said, his voice floating on the air. “What would you do to save him?”
“Stop it!” Claire yelled. She was almost to her limit.
“Would you lose control?” the voice asked, teasing, velvet against her skin.
A shudder ran through her body. She fought to shake it off. “Why are you doing this?” It didn’t make any sense to her. He wanted to see her powers, to see her lose control. But why?
“You are a flower,” he said. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to see you bloom!” His dark form shot out from the trees, hurling ball after ball, aiming for the elf.
Farron managed to parry them away, but only just barely. The fight was already taking its toll on him. She could see his chest and shoulders heave, his movements slow. Using magic was almost as taxing on him as it was her. She had to help, and quickly.
Crouching, she put her hands on the ground, searching inside for her magic. She’d never done it before, summoned earth, at least not while she was in control, but she had to try. When she found another thread, she thought about what she wanted, tried to picture it in her head, letting her anger and hatred fuel her. With a deep breath, she gave it everything she had, pushing all of her power into the attack. Her magic surged through her and into the ground, the mark flaring to life. Large stone spikes shot up from the earth under the man. He leaped away, but not fast enough. One of the spines had managed to pierce his left arm, spraying droplets of blood through the air. He cried out, in fury and pain, dropping the necklace into the leaves.
He stopped his pursuit on Farron and turned his attention to her, a wild look of rage on his face. His breathing was heavy, raspy. “You little—!”
Claire only managed to get to her feet, and then he was on her again. In a blur, he raised his right hand and backhanded her, sending her back to the ground. She propped herself up on her arms, the sting of the mark almost unbearable now, and glared up at him. She didn’t have much more left in her. Her magic swelled inside of her, whirling like a tempest, just waiting to take over. Waiting for just one more attack. One more moment of weakness within her.
Farron slammed into him then, tackling the man to the ground in a fit of rage. They wrestled for a moment, the elf striking the man with his fists, his daggers sheathed.
“Farron, don’t!” Claire called out, but he didn’t listen. Their attacker was too strong for him.
When Farron had the man pinned, he drew one of his daggers again and held it to his throat. The madman only laughed, making Farron even angrier. “I will kill you!” Farron growled. His mask had fallen away, his emotions bared for all the world to see.
“Farron, get away from him!” Claire yelled. She could feel the man’s power grow intensely.
Before the elf could heed her warning, the man struck out at him, a burst of power hitting Farron. The man threw him off and rose to his feet, before bending and plucking Farron’s dagger right out of his hand. The man laughed again, admiring the blade for a moment before driving it down at the elf.
“Don’t!” Claire screamed, her hold on her magic faltering.
But Farron had rolled away, the blade digging into the earth next to his head. He managed to sit up and clambered backward toward her, keeping his attention on their attacker, until he blocked her from him.
The man drew the dagger from the ground and stalked towards them, his mouth twisted into a sneer. He was going to kill Farron for certain.
Claire touched Farron on the back, pushing him away from her. “Run, Farron!” she pleaded. She couldn’t bear to see him hurt. To see him get stabbed. To see him get killed.
She would lose control. Was losing it already. Her breath became labored, and her vision started to dim around the edges. Her hands started to t
ingle. The mark grew numb. The man approached, closer and closer. Each second stretched into infinity. And still, the damn elf didn’t move.
The man drew the dagger back again and sliced down at Farron. The loud clang of metal sounded through the forest as the dagger met its brother. Farron had blocked with the other. Claire couldn’t even remember him drawing it. She was losing time, moments in her life seemed to vanish.
Again and again, the madman attacked Farron, losing himself to his mad laughter, until he finally had had enough, and he formed another magic ball and struck the dagger from Farron’s hand. The blade went flying and Farron backed up until he was almost on top of her.
The forest grew quiet again as the man sobered up. His face grew calm and serious, or as serious as a madman could get. He held the dagger inches from Farron’s chest, right above his heart.
Farron tensed, but still, he didn’t move, didn’t run for his life. His chest heaved. He was almost at his limit too.
“How sweet,” the man said, sneering. “Would you die for her?”
Farron was quiet, but they all knew the answer.
The madman threw his head back and laughed. “Another fool in love.” His laughter calmed and he gave Farron a grave look. “To be with her means death. Shall I hurry it along?” He pressed the tip of the blade into his chest, and Farron grunted in pain.
Something inside her snapped then. Claire raised her right arm above Farron’s shoulder, a glowing blue sphere forming in her hand, and she aimed it at the man. “Stop!” she yelled. The air crackled around her. She barely remembered making the movement. The magic inside her was slowly winning. If she released the ball, she would lose her hold on it entirely.
The man froze, smiling. “You are nothing to me.”
“Hold it right there!” Captain Bahadur’s gruff voice suddenly filled the forest. The shouts of the men rang out not too far behind him.
The man slowly turned, withdrawing the dagger from Farron’s chest. The elf slumped back against Claire.
“Briol?” she heard the captain gasp. “Is that you?”
