Seven Stories

Chapter 10: The Fire and the Cold

Lii slammed the door behind her. The to men outside stopped banging on the door to the other room, and looked at her with three identical vicious smiles. There were no lit torches in the hallway, but she could easily make out the bulk of one of the men, and especially the iron axe in his large hands. Standing in his shadow, his two partners looked frail in spite of the swords in their hands.

Lii swore under her breath as she realized she had left her own weapon inside of the room. One of the men boldly charged in her direction, his blade to his side as if he intended on hitting her with an upright move. She dodged it easily, let the man run past her, and dealt him a blow in the back of the knees with her staff. The man collapsed to the floor and Lii turned around just in time to kick the second assailant in the stomach as he tried to strike her in the back. He puffed but stood his ground and hit again with a circular movement. Lii blocked his blade with the wood of her staff, wincing when the vibration ran up her arms.

With a cry, she yanked the staff back, dislodging the sword and upsetting its owner's balance. The giant, who had stayed immobile up until then, took a step towards her. He lifted his axe, and Lii knew the magic in her staff would not be able to take that blow. She jerked her weapon up. The powerful gust of air she created blew the man off his feet, sent him slamming against the wall and fall to the floor, his axe lying two feet from him.

The giant tried getting up instantly, as well as his acolyte. She lifted her staff again, but before she could try summoning any more of her magic, she felt a burn on the small of her back. She gave an exclamation of pain. Behind her, the first man had his hands up, and she saw they glow with bright blue light.

Her eyes widened. Unsettled, she thought fast nonetheless.

"I know how fire works too, you know," she spat, and indeed, flames rose around her, licking the wooden planks of the floor and the tip of her toes. It was warm but did not burn her. However, if she decided to let the fire reach the men who had attacked her, they would feel the burn.

"I would calm down if I were you, blondie."

Lii turned in the direction of the new voice. Through the red flames, she saw a man, tall and lean, wrapped in a black coat. He had dark, long hair and very clear eyes.

More importantly, he had a small knife in his hand, and it was resting on Agnes's throat.

Lii could have screamed in rage. How could she not have noticed the woman was missing from the room they shared? Agnes's pupils were dilated, her eyes pleading Lii to do something, to help her.

Over the crackle of the fire, the man spoke again in an unctuous tone.

"Look who I found coming down the stairs just earlier. It's almost as if she knew we'd be coming after you. Clever little girl."

He glared right at Lii and his voice grew cold.

"Drop your staff."

Lii made the flames drop to the floor and doused them with a flicker of her staff. Then she let it fall on the floor. The man smiled and with a movement of his head, instructed his acolytes to get into the girl's room. Lii watched as they entered with her teeth clenched.

"Who are you?" she barked at the man.

"Oh, we are nobody, sweetheart. Only travelers. Who spotted the Queen of Shadows running about the territory with no protection at all."

"You intend to bring her to Guan-Fey."

"Ha, no, you see, sweetheart, I intend to sell her to Guan-Fey."