Confrontation with Mira

The sun was setting as they stopped for a rest the next day. Or rather the others stopped for a rest and Tina relented on Nia’s training.

“You’re in much worse shape than I thought,” the rogue nun told her as she handed her one of the red ’Nana’s.

“I think you, and Ralf, already told me this,” she answered while breathing heavily.

“I can’t state it often enough,” Tina answered and sighed. “Especially since you’re our only hope to get out of this alive and home.”

Nia turned to look at her, but the older woman just stared into the darkening forest. Ralf was busy building a fireplace with rocks and dry wood they had collected on the way.

“The thing is, that we’ve just been summoned as collateral. Saesquar wanted to bind you emotionally to us, which she thought is easier, since we’re from the same world, and then kill us so she can kill you.”

Nia blinked. Why had Saesquar called several different people into this world? Would it be easier for her to emotionally bind to people that were in the same boat as her? Couldn’t she have done the same with people from this world? Maybe … she didn’t want to kill her own people? But why had she attacked the village then?

Laying back on the ground, Nia stared at the green leaves above her. Only here and there a single star twinkled through the canopy. “I think Saesquar feels a lot more cornered than she wants to admit. If what we think we know about her, is true, then she’s bluffing. Big time.”

“Why do you think that?” Sonja asked and sat down next to her. The girl reached out to the sticks in the fire place and closed her eyes, her lips moving. Nia noticed the magic react, falling into a fast-paced rhythm. In contrast to the TNT-ball, it was pretty isolated, and she recognized it as part of her strengthening spell.

The rhythm or maybe song of fire. she thought just before the dry wood caught the first flames.

“Why do you think Saesquar is bluffing?” Sonja repeated the question.

“At first she’s done everything to keep the people of this world alive.” Nia sighed. “She summoned all of us just to have people she could sacrifice without touching the ones from this world. She also tried to rile them up against us. As if she wanted to take them over.”

“What about Drakar, or that village we’ve just been to?” Tom looked at her, doubtfully. “If I wanted to keep my people alive, then I wouldn’t attack a whole city. Maybe threaten them, but not attack them.”

Nia sighed. He was right, that didn’t fit into the picture she’d constructed of Saesquar. Or the reputation she already had.

“And even if you are right,” he continued, “it doesn’t change anything for us. We're still on the chopping block.”

“I just want to understand what she’s really doing or why. It might give us an edge.”

“I understand you motivation.” Ralf lowered himself opposite of the fire. “Just don’t draw the wrong conclusions. That might give our enemy an edge. Especially since this has become some kind of overpowered conflict.”

“I’m starting to feel as if we’re playing three-dimensional chess here.” Nia chuckled.

And in chess, you sometimes sacrifice pieces on the board. Is that what she’s doing? A shiver ran down her spine.

“You’re involved with the gods of this world,” Tina answered slowly. “I guess three dimensions aren’t enough for the kinds of chess they play.”

That made her shiver even more. “I hope that not even more gods are involved.”

Normally people just say that we can’t comprehend the ways of the gods, just because their moves are far too erratic to have any logic, and they can't reconcile the actions of their beloved deity or celebrity with what they believe they are.

Nia took one of the mini melonuts. They didn’t taste very good, but they seemed to give her some energy.

“We should determine who will keep watch tonight,” Ralf said and looked at everyone. “There could still be people around that want to … surprise us.” There was a moment of silence. “I’ll take first watch.”

“Second,” Tom offered.

“Third,” Sonja said with a sigh.

“Fourth and last.” Tina looked at Nia. “Our little priestess will need her rest.”

Nia almost wanted to protest, especially since it once again made her feel like a fifth wheel, but her exhaustion quickly argued that one down. “Thank you,” she murmured, and looked into the dancing flames. She quickly got drowsy and closed her eyes for a second …

‹ « | » ›

One moment she had stared at the warm flames in front of her, the next she was on the ground, the flames had died, and sunlight illuminated the ashes that were left over from their night time rest.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Tina smiled at her. “You can expect a lot more training today.”

And now I wish I could go back to sleep.

The cold, hard ground refused her. Or maybe she refused the cold, hard ground? It took her some time to sit up. Her muscles felt … strange. Sluggish and yet not overly exhausted. Maybe having an immortal body affected also how much she could train?

Not that I’m going to tell that to Tina or the others. The day would be hard enough either way.

Nia was the last to stand, everyone else already looked as if they had been ready for hours.

“Let’s go.” Ralf walked along the dirt road, the rest of the group followed along like small chicks their mother hen.

After a while, Nia didn’t even notice the monotony of setting one foot in front of the other. Her mind was also pretty disinterested in the flora passing them by. Tina had given her some of the provisions to munch on while walking, but that could only occupy her for some time. Instead, she turned to her magic once more. It had gotten easier to cause the vibrations once more, to strengthen herself. And by examining Sonja’s fire spell, she had learned, how to change the strength of the vibrations. It was like turning the volume of an unheard song up and down, and with it the strength of the effect varied. She had tried it a few times already and the way she felt afterwards changed a lot, if she didn’t use her magic at full blast.

“Now, Nia,” Tina said all of a sudden, and a torrent of shivers ran over her back. How could one person sound so very malicious? “I think I've been going easy on you for long enough now …”

Nia dreaded already what was to come.

“Every twenty-five steps I want you to get down and do a push-up. I am counting as well, and every step you do extra is a push-up added before lunch.”

Thus, her torture began once more. Nia thought she was at the thirtieth push-up when Ralf signaled them to stop. A moment later, several arrows whizzed past, some hitting them in the arms and legs. Ralf grunted, and Tom did his best to shield Sonja. The latter ducked down, closed her eyes, and moved her lips, again without making a sound.

Nia noticed the familiar prickling of magic, and the next salvo of arrows hit an invisible barrier around them. It was once again a single effect, but on a large scale. It had a very slow but harsh rhythm to it. Was that wind? No, that didn’t quite fit it, it was more like … The song of earth …

“Give up! You’re surrounded!” an almost familiar voice said.

Really? The one from yesterday has returned? How could one man be this stubborn?

The only problem was, that he wasn’t alone. A dozen more men stepped out of the wilderness, holding axes and pitchforks, while more people with bows stayed further back.

Then, another person stepped onto the dirt road. She was dressed like a priestess and had long black hair that hung to the small of her back. Nia knew her, the others of her party knew her as well, but the one that knew her best had her eyes closed, keeping up the magic that protected them from further harm.

“Mira,” Nia whispered, and Sonja stopped for a moment, eyes wide open. The girl stared at her old mentor, before quickly restarting her efforts to keep the barrier from collapsing.

“Good job.” Mira smiled and complimented the men. “Now, keep attacking. The girl won’t be able to sustain the barrier forever.”

“Why are you following a priestess of Saesquar?” Tina shouted her question at the other men.

“Don’t listen to her,” Mira answered. “If I wasn’t a priestess of Luaria, I wouldn’t be able to wear these robes.”

“That fact hadn’t stopped Qiin either.” Nia answered just loud enough for Mira to hear.

Anger flashed in Mira’s eyes. “These people are responsible for the death of High Priest Qiin. They have committed treason of the highest order. Show. No. Mercy.” A moment later, arrows rained down onto the barrier.

Nia could see that Sonja flinched a few times and shut her eyes tightly. Then the first men with axes stepped forward, ran into the invisible barrier and started to attack it. Sonja gasped heavily, and sweat formed on her forehead.

“We need to do something,” Tom shouted, drew an arrow and nocked it. Ralf got his ax and Tina had suddenly daggers in her hands.

Nia bit her lip, then put a hand on Sonja’s shoulder. “Let me handle try to handle this,” she whispered. It took her a bit to find the right frequency, but then she managed a moderate vibration that mirrored the barrier Sonja had created. Slowly the burden of resisting the attack shifted from Sonja to her. Nia felt all the cuts and attacks on the barrier as if they were hitting her own flesh. They were just a lot smaller than the ax looked.

Maybe all that training is finally paying off …

Sonja looked at her as the she was done taking over. “How?”

“Later,” Nia promised. It wasn’t easy to keep up the harmony of the magic when all those people introduced bad accords and sounds to it, but it was manageable.

Tina and Ralf stepped through the barrier as if it wasn’t even there. Ralf’s ax hit one of the pitchforks and cut through the tool’s stick. Tina jumped over someone else and hit the back of his head with the pommel of a dagger. Tom loosed an arrow that hit one of the enemy’s archers in the hand.

“You’re crafty,” Mira said and lifted her left arm. “Seems like I have to take this into my own hands.”

A new harmonic bypassed her magic and wrapped itself around her neck. It tightened and Nia had trouble breathing.

“I’m going to make you suffer for killing Qiin,” Mira hissed. “I’m going to kill you over and over again until I am satisfied and only then I’ll hand you over to her.”

Nia started to rip the new harmony apart, tried to enter disharmonious frequencies, but Mira managed to counter them faster than she could introduce them

Her barrier collapsed a moment later and the first arrows whipped past her and Sonja. Ralf and Tina stormed past the ax and pitchfork men and tried to get the archers. Tom was aiming at their arms and legs. He even shot one at Mira, but the arrow clinked against the air a hand’s width before her face and fell to the floor.

“I won’t let you destroy our mistress’s dreams, or this world,” Mira lifted her other arm, too and suddenly Tom let go of his bow, reaching for his own neck. He seemed to be fighting against that same invisible thing around his neck as Nia did. But he didn’t have magic.

Black spots danced in front of Nia's vision. She had to do something. What if she tried the barrier directly around her throat? No, Mira’s magic bypassed it before. Could she strengthen her body to resist this? No, strength wouldn’t help her.

“Let go of them!” An orange light passed her and exploded against Mira. The smoke lifted and the other mage stood there, unharmed.

“You have to tell me how you make it explode this violently.”

Nia’s consciousness threatened to fade. She had to do something. Maybe she could change the base melody of her strengthening magic from the fire rhythm to the earth one. She had no time to doubt the outcome. She simply did it.

Her magic acted confused and in disharmony for a moment, but another part of her magic filled the gap. A new harmony arose, and Nia could breathe more easily. The black spots in her vision faded, and she coughed.

All their attackers, with the exception of Mira, were down for the count. They were either clutching wounds on their legs, or laid unconscious on the ground.

Nia’s companions all gasped for air. Grabbed at something invisible around their neck. Tom had gone limp.

“Stone Skin?” Mira raised an eyebrow. “You're a crafty one. I’m sure Qiin never taught you that magic.” A dark grin formed on her face. “I’ll enjoy breaking you!”

Nia had no time for quips, she had to turn the tables on her.

Wait. Turn? What happens if I turn the magic around? Like in those noise-canceling head-phones?

It was probably something she should’ve tested beforehand, but there was no time for that now. She build the counter-song and first targeted herself. When it worked, and the pressure on her throat vanished completely, she tried forming around everyone’s necks. Including Mira’s.

Then she saw the manic grin on her opponents face. She was already forming a fireball. Could she try and analyze the fireball magic to create a counter song? Probably not. She had to free her companions and hope that her subconscious was right and she couldn’t be killed. That it could even recreate her from ashes.

She went all in on the magic that should free everyone and shouted “run.” The fireball hit her in the face a moment later.

The explosion threw her head back, the fire burned in her nose and lungs, and she fell backwards a moment later. The explosion was much milder than what Sonja had managed, but still enough to do considerable damage. Nia was sure that her neck was broken, her skin burned and her hair and clothes still on fire. Any normal person would be dead already.

Why am I somehow immortal, but not invulnerable?

From her position, she could see Tina sprint forward. Not away from her, or the fireball, but toward Mira. Then all she heard was a garbled cry and a thud.

“Saesquar will get you,” she heard Mira whisper weakly. “Then she’ll overthrow Luaria and bring the people back down to Rygara, where they belong …” Her voice became weaker and weaker. “Qiin … I’m coming … where are you? Qiin?”

Nia didn’t need to see Mira to know that the woman was dead. Apparently she hadn’t gotten the immortality buff, Qiin had gotten.

The second one of Saesquar’s minions was down.

She should feel glad about it, but she didn’t. Mira had had feelings for Qiin. That monk had been head over heels for his dark lady and said dark lady was fighting against her mother because of some perceived injustice.

What’s really going on?

She wanted to sigh, but the broken neck stopped her from breathing.

Okay, first things first. How did that healing magic work once again?