22 Throwing the gauntle (1/2)
Part 1
Evlin was carrying Ashley on her back while sending healing magic towards her legs and executing a mad dash towards the directions Ashley was giving. She kept running for hours trying to get as far away as possible from the city and, more importantly, from Xadi.
Strong opponents were nothing new for Evlin. During her time helping adventures on quests she had faced many monsters that were much stronger than her. But during those times she would always have party members giving her aid or having some means to quickly escape from the dangerous situation.
This time was a little different. Her opponent wasn't only stronger than her, he was also more clever and experienced, as well as probably being very well informed about her skills and accomplishments. Not only that, she needed to fight him alone and had no means of escaping since he knew exactly where she lived and where she was going. Xadi was an enemy Evlin could not take lightly.
While considering how to deal with this new threat Ashley made a plead for Evlin to stop running for a little bit.
”Evlin! Please!! I need a break!!”
”Oh, sorry! Let's rest under that tree's shade.”
She put Ashley down and the two paused their escape for a moment to catch their breaths.
”Sorry... I know you have been carrying me all the way here but i really need some rest...”
”It's ok, i also need a break... I wish i would have brought something to eat... I'm starting to get hungry...”
”I have some fruits on my bag... It's not much but it might ease the hunger...”
”Thanks!”
Ashley revealed some apples and bananas that she had managed to bring along and the two started to have a quick lunch.
”I still can't believe you managed to beat my brother in a fight...”
”Sorry to disappoint you but i don't think i would call that a fight... More like a successful escape attempt...”
”But you knocked him out, didn't you?”
”Most people when they get hit by my rock fist tend to spend the rest of the day unconscious... But that guy managed to stood up and scream like a mad dog just a few seconds later...”
”... Do you- Do you think you can beat him...?”
”No idea... My mind wasn't focused on the moment to be honest... But he probably was also not going all out... He just wanted to capture me... But if he tries to go for the kill...”
”... Oh gods...”
”Yeah... Seems like i just have the worst luck when it comes to attracting the worst kind of magicians...”
”I'm so sorry...”
”Don't be... Thanks to him i got my best lead so far...”
”Oh yeah, about that... What did happen while you were sleeping?”
”I was transported into this white space alongside a small kid. I think he was the living weapon guy with the appearance from when he first came here... He told me i might find a way home if i find his son and his friends.”
”Oh! That's amazing!”
”yeah... It seems like one of his friends has the power of teleportation and can go back to any place she was before... If i can learn that i might be able to go back to my own world!”
”I see... And why do you need his son?”
”His son will help me boost my power in case I'm not strong enough to open a teleport powerful enough to go all the way to my world.”
”Ah... Makes sense... Opening a portal between two worlds must be really hard...”
”I wonder... But right now, it's the best chance i have... But now we have to deal with that maniac as well... How did your brother passed the morality test to become a mage...?”
”He... Wasn't always like that... At first he wanted to become a mage to save his fiance that was dying of a rare disease... But he ended up failing the exams many times and her condition kept getting worse and worse... By the time he finally became a mage she was already too far gone to be saved...”
”Oh... I see...”
”After that, he changed into a completely different person... He decided to only use magic for his own benefit... He became one of the king's private mage mercenaries, carrying out all kinds of disgusting jobs... He was still my brother so i wanted to believe he could come back one day... But he just went too far this time...”
”How powerful is he by the way...? In case we stumble upon him again...”
”You saw him using thunder magic to attack and wind magic to fly but he also knows water magic as well.”
”Thunder, wind and water?”
”Yeah... People started calling him the tempest magician...”
”Ugh... I hate that this name sounds kinda cool...”
”His favorite move is to fly above his opponents with wind, freeze them in one place so that they can't escape with water and strike with lightning.”
”Yikes!! That sounds nasty... Glad he didn't use that on me...”
”I don't think he would... It seems like you are very valuable to him...”
”Really...?”
”Yeah... He was talking about how you were some kinda of genius for turning your staff into a crossbow and using it's mass to your advantage or whatever....”
”This? I just use it like this because it's kinda cool...”
”I knew it!!”
”I always wanted to be an archer but i have no skill with a bow and arrow... This just makes it easier... Plus it gives me one free hand.”
”I see... What about these pieces in your arms and legs?”
”Oh, i use this to send out some magic that can boost my strength. It allows me to run faster and punch harder!”
”Oh! Cool! What about the necklace?”
”Oh this? Just decoration... Some extra piece of wood that couldn't go anywhere else... Sometimes i use it to reinforce other pieces of the armor that need more wood.”
”Wow... I'm so jealous!! I wish i was a mage too!!”
”... I don't...”
”...? Why...?”
”This might sound weird coming from me but... I kinda hate magic...”
”Really...? But you use magic all the time...”
”Because i have to... Not because i want to...”
”But your magic saved many adventures during your quests from the guild... People love you! You are everyone's favorite magician!”
”... Am i...? I feel like it's more a case of me being the only magician people like...”
”...?”
”It's hard to explain but every magician i meet always turns out to be some kind of massive jerk... The guy who summoned me, the prince that tried to capture me, you blood-thirsty brother... They all act like just because they can perform magic they can just do whatever they want... It feels like magic kinda makes people think that the rules don't apply to them...”
”But... Aren't you different?”
”I'm not... I was using healing magic on Dalla against her will... I thought i was helping her, but i was actually keeping her locked in here against her will... She even had to ask me to let her die because i wouldn't stop messing with her body without her permission...”