Through the Dimensions: The Ten Elements Of Magic

Chapter II: Alone

ARMIDA

A girl and a panther stood, crouched and ready, at the back of a dingy cave, breathing hard. It was quite the sight to behold, Armida mused, looking over at her wildcat mentor.

Armida wasn't much to look at herself, she supposed. Not on her own. She had dust and mud caked along her cheekbones and in her hair, and all she had for clothes was a dirty grey jacket and a torn black tunic. No, there was nothing extra-ordinary looking about her, to anyone looking she was just another Rosian left homeless by the war. Most wouldn't have given her a second glance if she had been pandering for change or scraps on the street like many of the people fleeing from the conflict in Rosien Fields.

But Armida Briar wasn't just another homeless girl. She had been tagging along with Aeri ever since she had stumbled from the wreckage of her home village, the only survivor, when she had been only ten years of age.

Armida had lost everything that day, only to be found by the great black animal, who took her in as though she was a lost cub rather than a human intruder. The panther had been training her for the past three years, teaching Armida to think on her feet, sharpen her senses, and catch the slightest bit of movement. The same panther who was crouching next to her, breathing in the same damp, stale air. Armida leaned closer to Aeri, and whispered harshly,

"D'ya think you could let me know why we're standing in the back of a cave? This isn't what we normally-"

"Hush, child." The panther cut her off, melodious voice all business, two-toned eyes just daring her to interrupt again.

" 'm not a child." Armida sulked, looking down at the ground. Aeri sent her a warning look and Armida tuned back into her surroundings. Aeri suddenly tensed, and Armida did the same, the flash of movement catching her attention.

A giant bird of prey flew in through the entrance of the cave, beady red eyes fixed on Armida and Aeri, wicked beak and talons gleaming with the sunlight behind it. What really set Armida on edge though, was the person on the back of the bronze bird. A slim, red cloaked person, holding a torch. It sent shivers down her spine.

Aeri growled, and fixed their eyes ahead at the attackers, before saying to Armida,

"Go, Get out of here, child, it's too dangerous."

"Aeri, no, I'm not going to leave you here. I'm thirteen! I can handle this with you!"

Aeri shook their head. "No, child. There are things at play here. Evil things. You may encounter these things again in the near future, but I'd like to keep you as safe as possible for now, as selfish as it may be. Run now, please."

The hooded figure laughed a short, raspy, laugh that sounded more like a taunting smoker's cough.

"GO!" Aeri snarled, about to pounce, black fur on edge. Armida stood transfixed in horror as the cloaked attacker dropped the torch.

She opened her mouth to scream, but couldn't. The cave set on fire at once, as though it was coated in kerosene, engulfing the cave in searing curls of flame and dark choking spirals of smoke.

The bird screeched and the cave shook, knocking a large rock down. It rolled at a sickening pace right towards her, and she was too paralyzed with shock to move out of the way in time. The rock hit Armida squarely between the eyes with a sickening thud.

She gasped in pain and surprise, choking on the dark smoke, crumpling to her knees in defeat. This was it. This was how she was going to go down, after everything.

Her eyes fluttered open in shock as the panther put their paw gently on Armida's shoulder and pushed. Armida floated slowly outside the cave, a white aura surrounding her, protecting her from the scarlet flames that now engulfed the cave.

When she was out of the cave, Armida felt boiling tears start to drip down her already flushed face. She was probably slightly concussed, and new burns and scratches decorated her skin. This, however, was the least of her worries right now.

Smoke poured out of the cave, and Aeri's snarls echoed, along with the bird's screeching and the stranger's horrible rasping laughs.

Armida screamed with rage, falling to her knees again.

And she cried. Cried until her chest hurt and her vision swam. Cried for Aeri, cried for her family, cried for her village, her people, all the things she had left behind. She cried and raged at the unfairness of the world.

Eventually she stood up, shakily. Aeri's words pounded in her head. She had lost almost everything now, her home, her family, and now she might lose her closest (and only) friend. Then, ashamed, she stopped crying. She wanted to run back but she knew she must go on for now. That was what Aeri wanted her to do, so she did. She had to.

So Armida ran. She ran, for miles and miles, fueled by the voices of the people she had left behind and the burning anger in her chest. She ran until she couldn't run anymore and stopped, panting and bleeding, in front of a huge marble building with a sign that Armida was too tired to read.

She knocked on the door, hoping the people inside were accepting of more-than-slightly concussed homeless girls, and promptly collapsed from injury and exhaustion.

Before everything faded to black, she was hit by the grim truth:

Armida Briar was completely, soul-crushingly alone.