Not all Ropes are Equal

“Okay, I’ll try to do it just a little…”

Violet activated the spell and touched Alex on the chest. She then quickly canceled the spell, so that only a little of her energy entered him.

“How is that?”

Since their stop at the Gmiadlich Springs Inn a week had passed. Alex, Violet and Caleb had traveled West. They nearly reached the Erzstain Mountains. Only the Forest of Laechzen, where they currently stopped, and the Ravines of Schluchzen were between them. Since there wasn’t much time left during daylight, they decided to camp at a clearing they found. Violet watched as Alex tried to move.

“Hm, yeah my body feels a bit lighter, but way less than last time…”, said Alex.

“What about your urge to kill?”

“Hm… not really there… but I do feel like I really want to punch someone in the face…”

“Me?”

“No…”

“Me?”, said Caleb from the cart, where he was dozing off.

“A little…”

“Well, that’s my que to get the hell out of here. I’ll go gather some firewood for tonight.”

Caleb jumped from the cart and vanished whistling into the forest.

“Well, I understand the feeling of wanting to punch him… hm… so you are not flying into a blind rage… that’s good. Anything else?”, asked Violet inquisitively.

“Hm… the burning feeling inside of me is there too… it’s like a flame that burns inside of me… hot but strangely pleasant…”, said Alex pensive.

“Well, that’s probably because I use fire element energy for the spell, since I have the most control over it. I don’t want to use earth energy, because I don’t have full mastery over it yet. I don’t want to risk it going out of control at the activation…”

“What about the other elements? You’re quite skilled with wind too, right?”

“I am… but… I only ever heard of wind being used once…”

“So, it can be used?”

“Well sort of… The one who used wind element for the spell was Grandpa Yaeon… on Grandpa Barrik… but that’s a completely different scenario…”

“Why? Because old Barrik is a dwarf and I’m not?”

“Yes… but not only that. Grandpa Barrik is also a natural Berserker, one of the most powerful Flame Berserker even, so his body is used to vast amounts of magical energy.”

“So, wait… did he use two elements then? Fire and Wind?”

“Yeah…”

“What happened?”

“He went on a rampage… Or in Granpas Yaeon words… The short bastard went bat shit crazy and slaughtered his way through an enemy army, turned around and came back, while decimating half of the enemies himself. As soon as there was no foe, he started clobbering our own men. It took six other Berserkers and three mages, me included, to restrain the bastard.”

“So, he was unable to tell friend from foe?”

“Nah… he said, he just wanted to roughhouse a little more… and for dwarves it’s not even child’s play if no bones break or teeth goes flying…”

“Ah…”

Alex did some practice swings with his axe, then turned back to Violet.

“Soo… are you gonna cast it with wind element now?”

“I… hm… let’s hold off on that for n-“

Violet was interrupted by a scream.

“Shit, that was Caleb!”, she exclaimed.

Alex nodded and both of them went in the direction the scream was coming from. Not long and they found Caleb. He was strung up high in the trees by thick ropes.

“What are you doing?”, asked Violet confused.

“Me? Oh, you know… just hanging around admiring the beauty of those branches here…”, said Caleb hanging upside down.

“Oh? Okay, then we don’t want to disturb your admiring any further… Come Alex let’s go back and let him… hang around…”

Violet shrugged and turned around.

“Wait, wait! WAAAIT!”, shouted Caleb.

Violet turned back around slowly, having the biggest smile on her face that Alex had seen in a while.

“Oh? What?”, she said, enjoying every syllable.

“While the beauty up here is very stunning, I have to say… But you know it’s rude to stare for too long and I do think of my self as a very grounded person, soo… I would prefer if… you know…”, said Caleb, trying his best to act dignified, which proofed rather hilarious given his state of current physical orientation.

“Hmmm… I thought you like a bit of rope play?”

“Yeah, the sexy kind! Not this crazy rope coiling itself around me and stringing me up high all of a sudden in the middle of a god damn forest!”

“The rope coiled itself around you?”

“Yes! Like a frickin snake!”

Violet looked at the rope closer.

“Oh, interesting. That’s elven rope.”, she said contemplating.

“Who cares what fucking rope this is? Could be rope made out of a Troll’s ass hair for all I care! Would you finally help me down already?”, shouted Caleb slowly losing his composure.

“Beg for it.”

“WHAT!?”

“You heard me.”

“Beg? Me? Begging you… pfah, in your dreams!”

Caleb started wiggling around in protest.

“Well… then I wish you good hanging.”, said Violet.

She then turned around with the cheekiest of cheeky smiles.

“No…Ah... Alex! Alex! Alex, my dear friend! You would not leave a good friend in need hanging, would you?”

Violet grabbed Alex by the shoulder.

“Don’t.”, she said sharply.

“You fiery bitch…”, muttered Caleb under his breath.

Violet heard him and turned her face towards him.

“What did you just call me?”, she said in disbelief.

“I… no…. I said …witch! Yeah… Witch! Oh Violet, you fiery witch! Mistress of the Flame! You incredible Sorceress, unparalleled in power and beauty! I beseech you and your unrivaled kindness to help this poor fella out!”

“You are forgetting something…”

Caleb breathed deep and made a pained expression, as if he was being flayed alive right now.

“Could you help me out of these ropes… pl-“

In this moment Alex heard something behind him, turned his head slightly and saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye. Directly heading for Violet. Alex’s body reacted instinctively. He shoved Violet, who fell shrieking to the side. Alex felt something swiping across his back and then a sharp pain. He gripped his axe and swung it blindly turning his body around. Alex watched as the blunt side of his axe collided with a teethed mouth. It and the connected beast went flying. But the monster landed on its feet. It was a feline creature. A bit like a panther but way bigger and with a spiked tail. It was completely black, only the eyes gleamed red. Alex saw an arrow shaft protruding from its left shoulder. The creature shook its head and then growled intimidatingly. Alex felt fear creeping up in his body, as he looked in its eyes. The creature got ready to pounce again, but a short wall of flames erupted out of the ground in front of it, making it jump back.

“Fuck… you’re bleeding… heavily… shit! What is that thing?”, said Violet behind him.

“I don’t know… but it’s bad news… really bad news… cast the spell on me… full power!”, said Alex.

“What, but…”

“That thing will kill us, if you don’t do it… hurry up, before it pounces again!”

Violet looked down and saw his hands shaking. She touched his blood covered back and cast the spell, with as much power as she could muster in that instant. His shaking stopped. The wounds on his back stopped bleeding.

“Don’t you go berserk on me…”, she whispered.

Alex chuckled.

“You’re not supposed to laugh at my shitty pun… just don’t get killed, you hear.”, said Violet.

She finished activating the spell just at the time the creature recovered from the fiery fright and pounced again. Alex dashed forward with a scream and held out his axe. He stopped the mouth and the paws, but he forgot about the spiked tail. It lashed out and slashed Alex’s side. The creature then hopped back a bit, dodging the incoming firebolt. Alex went after it and swung his axe. The creature dodged again. Then a flurry of axe swings, paw swipes and tail lashes began. The creature was fast, very fast, but thanks to the Berserker spell Alex was able to keep up with it. Even if only barely. Violet began to shoot a barrage of firebolts. The creature jumped back, faced Violet, bared its teeth and growled. It got ready to pounce again.

“Oh no, you don’t! I’m your target kitty!”, growled Alex back and jumped in front.

Beast and man clashed again. Alex got pushed back. He bumped into Violet and they both went down. The beast sniffed its chance and jumped on them. Alex quickly rose up and held his axe in front. Violet tried to crawl out under him, as she felt a liquid dripping down on her. She looked up and saw Alex holding the mouth back from biting into him. But the paws were free to slash into his chest. Slowly the beast pushed Alex back further. The creature growled confidently. Violet was stun locked in panic. She could only watch as the mouth of the beast got closer and closer to Alex. As they were only a hair’s breadth away she heard a Thunk and two more after that in the span of heartbeat. Three arrow shafts suddenly protruded out of the side of the creature’s chest. All three less than a finger apart. The creature still locked onto Alex growled again but then got weaker. He pushed it to the side, and it went down. Alex breathed heavily as he turned to Violet and looked at her. She could see the burning in his eyes and relief. She finally got control of her body again and sat up. It was completely silent.

“You okay there?”

A sudden voice echoed through the woods. Alex jerked around and readied his axe.

“Wait!”, said Violet.

A figure stepped out from behind a tree. It was a woman. Tall, slender, clad in leather armor, a longbow in arm and two short swords hanging from her belt. Behind her hip a quiver with plenty of arrows could be seen. She had blonde long hair, tied back in a ponytail. But the most defining features were her two pointy ears, giving away her elven heritage.

“I mean you no harm… Can I approach without getting an axe in the face?”, said the elf looking at Alex.

Violet grabbed him by the shoulder and deactivated the Berserker spell. She then quickly caught him before he fell over and put him gently on the ground.

“You didn’t have to put him out completely.”, said the elf while coming over.

She went to the dead beast.

“You held your own against a Shadowstalker… impressive.”, the elf commented.

“And you are?”, asked Violet.

“Oh yeah sorry… My name is Cera… I was hunting and laying traps for this beast for a week now… finally got it… You have my thanks… Miss…?”

“Violet.”

“Pleasure.”

Cera took out her short sword and began cutting through the neck of the beast.

“What brings you to these woods… Violet?”, she asked nonchalantly while doing her gory work.

“We… eh… are on our way to the Erzstain Mountains. We plan to cross them through the Schlitz Path.”

“Oh? Then we have the same direction, what a coincidence…”

With a last cut the head of the beast was cut off.

“What are you doing with that?”, asked Violet pointing at the severed head.

“Getting paid… There is a bounty on the beast in the next village on the way to the mountains… Say you would happen to travel by mount or cart or something? It would be really nice to not have to carry this thing all the way…”

“We do… have a cart.”

“Oh nice… Is it okay if I come with?”

“Hm… I… well… okay why not…”

“Yay, thanks.”

Cera winked at her and went to the back of the beast. With a few precise cuts she cut the tail off.

“What’s that for?”, asked Violet.

“Dinner. Trust me, you’ll love it!”, said Cera and smirked.

“Could you help me carrying him? Our camp is not far.”, said Violet and pointed at Alex who was sleeping soundly on the ground.

“Yeah sure… Is he alright? He got hit a few times.”

“He’ll be fine…”

“If you say so… but damn, I saw him fight… I don’t want to cross blades with that guy… Maybe he could even beat the Shadowstalker if…”

“If what?”

“Ah… nothing, shall we go, Violet?”

“Yeah, let’s go, Cera.”

“EHEM! Are the lovely ladies not forgetting something perchance? … or SOMEONE?!”, sounded suddenly Calebs voice from above them.

“Oh yeah, I completely forgot! Cera, can you get him down?”

“No problem.”

Cera waved with her hand and said an elvish word. The ropes gave Caleb free, and he fell down while screaming.