Ten of Swords (Draft Only)

Chapter 14

Dawn had yet to approach, yet the sky to the east featured a rising glow. Smoke shifted in invisible shapes overhead that periodically blocked out the sight of the stars. Inside the guest house huddled Elise, Pepper, and Sniffles. The scent of smoke was strong now, and Pepper was shaking in fear. Time was running out. If they were going to flee, it would have to be soon. Before the fighting and the flames caught up to them. There was no sign of the mage, and the shouting, roars, and screaming were only growing louder.

Sniffles stood at the window, nervously watching, and shifting his gaze between his mother and the grove. He was waiting for the signal to get out of there.

Elise looked to Pepper one last time, then to her son. She nodded, then helped her friend to her feet from her chair. It wasn't that Pepper couldn't physically stand on her own, but psychologically she was starting to shut down. She needed to be pushed or prompted to do anything.

They left the guest house behind them and headed toward the side of the grove, away from the fighting and the flames. The mountains wouldn't be a good idea, as the wind was blowing uphill and would carry the flames up the slope. Additionally, heading uphill would slow them down. Instead, they would have to follow around the foot of the mountain and hope to get as far away as possible.

Just in case, Sniffles readied his bow. His mother was too injured to fight, and even if Pepper wasn't having a nervous breakdown, she could never fight in the first place. Not only was it not in her nature, but she simply didn't know how to fight. Though it put an intense frown on his mother's face, she recognised that it was the best course of action and said nothing.

Elise led Pepper along, while Sniffles stood guard with an arrow notched on Butcher's longbow. He wasn't sure if he was strong enough yet for the bow's full draw, but even partial draw would be powerful enough to do some damage. He didn't even want to think about having to use it. Killing animals and killing people were two entirely different things. In his heart he didn't believe he was ready, but he knew that if the situation arose that he would have no choice. He had to protect Pepper and his mother.

Reiza gritted her teeth. "One person alone can't save the grove," she hissed. Committing fully, she pushed down with all her strength with her foot on the mage's chest. Not even a gasp could escape him as he writhed in pain. Seeing him grow weaker by the second, she drew back her quarter staff to strike him again, this time fully intending to cave in his skull.

Left with no choice, the mage raised his staff weakly. He created a portal no larger than the size of his palm for it was all he could manage. With a thunk the quarterstaff fell and bounced off the roots that surrounded them, along with the archdruid's fingers.

The portal itself had only existed for a brief moment, as the mage could not concentrate to maintain it, but that was all he had been hoping for. In placing it half-way though her hand he had effectively disconnected the space between her upper and lower palm.

Rieza stumbled back and cried out, grasping her wrist, and seeing the blood pour out of where her fingers had been. As his lungs had been completely emptied, the mage could not move while he struggled to suck in breath. While he struggled, she tore at her clothes and wrapped her hand to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible. "Bastard," she hissed. "Stop playing games with me!"

The mage placed a hand on his chest and tried to focus the best he could. Magic was able to speed up the process of getting air back into his lungs, and he was finally able to breathe fully again. It had not been long, but he felt so weak that he may not be able to get back on his feet at all.