Bandits and Brawls

As we reached the edge of the forest, where the trees grew thinner and the glow of the capital lit the horizon, Elara broke the silence. Her voice, calm but serious, cut through the quiet rustling of leaves.

“Valkyrie,” she began, drawing our attention. “Before we go any further, there’s something you need to understand.”

I turned to face her, noticing how her crimson hair caught the faint moonlight. Her piercing gaze met mine. Magnus stood nearby, arms crossed, his curiosity apparent despite his usual guarded demeanor.

Elara took a deep breath. “Humans aren’t like us. They fear what they don’t understand and hate what they can’t control. To them, witches and wizards are a threat—something to be destroyed. The way the Enchanted Forest has hated humans for centuries, humans have hated us too. Maybe even more.”

Her eyes drifted toward the distant lights of the capital, her expression darkening. “They think we bring curses. That our magic is a danger. To them, it’s not a gift—it’s a weapon. If they find out what we are, they won’t care why we’ve come. They’ll attack. Maybe even kill us.”

Magnus scoffed, shattering the somber mood. “Let them try,” he said, his silver eyes narrowing. “I’ll show them what happens when they pick a fight with a wizard.”

“This isn’t about proving who’s stronger, Magnus,” Elara snapped. “This isn’t the forest. If we fight, we’ll lose more than just our lives. We’ll prove their worst fears true and ruin any chance of stopping the kidnappings.”

Her words hit harder than I wanted to admit. She was right. Humans had no reason to trust witches or wizards. And even though I was once one of them, my name wouldn’t protect me now.

“But Elara,” I said carefully, “not all humans are like that. Your foster parents—”

“They were the exception,” she interrupted, her voice softening. “Even they told me to hide my powers. They loved me, but they knew how dangerous the truth could be. I don’t doubt your hope for peace, Valkyrie, but the capital is a dangerous place for us—especially for you.”

Magnus frowned. “Why her?” he asked, irritation in his tone. “She’s practically human.”

Elara shot him a sharp look. “Exactly. If anyone recognizes her as the former crown princess and learns she’s aligned with us now, it’ll confirm their worst fears. To them, she’ll be a traitor—a threat to both worlds.”

A chill ran down my spine. She wasn’t wrong. If humans saw me as a witch, they’d hate me for what I’d become. If they saw me as a former princess, they’d despise me for abandoning them. Either way, the risk was enormous.

“I know the stakes, Elara,” I said firmly. “But if we don’t take this chance, the kidnappings will continue. The fairies and elves… they’ll keep suffering. I can’t let that happen.”

Elara studied me, her expression unreadable, before finally nodding. “Just promise me you’ll be careful,” she said softly. “This isn’t just about saving others. It’s about surviving, too.”

“I promise,” I replied, though the weight of her words lingered. Survival wasn’t guaranteed—but turning back wasn’t an option.

Elara turned to Magnus. “And you—don’t do anything reckless. We can’t afford your temper getting us killed.”

Magnus smirked, though there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes. “No promises.”

Elara sighed, exasperated but resigned. “Fine. Just stay alert. If we’re discovered, we won’t have the forest to protect us. We’ll only have each other.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy yet unifying. Whatever awaited us in the capital, we would face it together.

***

As we approached the capital, the forest thinned, and the city lights came into view. The air felt heavy, and Elara’s warning about humans fearing witches lingered in my mind. Suddenly, rustling in the shadows caught my attention. Bandits appeared, led by a scarred man with a cruel smirk.

“Well, well,” he sneered. “Witches and wizards heading to the capital? Hand over your valuables.”

The bandits circled us, their weapons gleaming in the faint light. Magnus stepped forward, his fists clenched, but I raised a hand to stop him. “No magic,” I said firmly, my voice low. “We can’t risk it.”

The leader laughed, mistaking my caution for weakness. He lunged at Elara, his blade aimed to intimidate, but I stepped in. Grabbing his wrist, I twisted it sharply, forcing him to drop his weapon. Before he could react, I swept his legs out from under him and slammed him to the ground.

The others hesitated, their confidence wavering as they watched their leader groaning in pain. One of them charged at me, but I sidestepped and used his momentum against him, flipping him onto his back. He scrambled away, clutching his shoulder.

Reaching into my satchel, I pulled out two small glass vials filled with swirling, ominous-looking liquids. Holding them up for the bandits to see, I let my voice carry a cold, sharp edge. “These are potions,” I said, my tone steady. “One burns hotter than fire; the other melts through steel. Care to test which one I’ll throw first?”

The bandits exchanged nervous glances, their bravado quickly fading. “W-we don’t want trouble,” one of them stammered, backing away.

“Then leave,” I said, my voice firm and unwavering. “Now.”

The leader glared at me from the ground but didn’t dare make another move. With a wave of his hand, he signaled his group to retreat. They disappeared into the shadows, muttering curses under their breath.

I exhaled slowly, my grip on the potions relaxing as the tension eased.

Elara stared at me, her expression a mix of shock and admiration. “That was… effective,” she said. “I didn’t know you were trained to fight without magic.”

“Sometimes, you have to use what you have,” I replied with a shrug, slipping the potions back into my satchel. “And scare tactics work wonders on cowards.”

Magnus crossed his arms, giving a grudging nod. “Not bad. But next time, let me deal with them.”

“Sure,” I said, brushing past him. “If you think you can handle it without blowing our cover.”

Elara shot Magnus a pointed look, then turned back to me. “Still, you took a big risk. What if they hadn’t backed down?”

“Then we’d still have won,” I said, my tone light but my gaze serious. “But they didn’t need to know that.”

Elara glanced at us thoughtfully before speaking. “Maybe we should do something about our attire,” she suggested, her tone cautious. “If we don’t want anyone knowing we’re witches and wizards, blending in might be a good start. And we should probably hide our wands, too.”

I paused, considering her words. She had a point. Our robes and the magic wands tucked at our sides, though essential for spells, would stand out like a beacon in the capital.

With the bandits gone and the tension easing, we continued toward the capital, each step more cautious than the last. The road ahead felt dangerous, but at least we knew we could rely on each other—magic or not.