Your Tank

Osric yanks Elayne by the backpack strap. "There's a bag by my bed. Take it, grab your mother and get out of here. Use the back exit in the study," he whispers.

Elayne knows he’s serious. She takes off up the stairs, leaving him alone with the man.

She sprints down the hall, throws open the doors. A leather bag rests against the nightstand. She throws it over her shoulder. it over her shoulder and races out of the room. The bag tips, three books spill out. She hastily shoves them back in. One book sends a jolt through her arm as she picks it up. She doesn't think twice about it, too caught up in the hurry.

"Mama, we have to go!" Elayne jumps down the stairs.

"Where?" Helen asks, still engrossed in making  breakfast.

"I don't know, Osric told us to run." She grasps her mother's wrist, leading her through the hallway.

Elayne swings open the door behind the study. The two sprint across the grass. A loud boom shakes the ground, making Elayne pause.

Elayne clenches her fist so hard it starts pulsing. "I can't leave him again."

She hands her mother the pack on her back, leaving the one resting at her hip. “Go get help! Ask Anne,” she says before taking off.

Sprinting through the house, another boom rattles the walls.

Osric stands across the front lawn, facing the man. Beads of sweat drip down his chin. Nervous sweat — she can smell it.

Vines burst from the ground at the man's feet, spiraling into a massive tangle, hurtling straight toward Osric. He barely dives out of the way in time, the vines gouge a deep hole into the soil where he stood.

The vines wither away, turning brown, then black, then to ash. Right when they disappear, more vines sprout from the man's feet. With a thrust of his hand, they twist together, shoot toward Osric, who's still on the ground.

Elayne vaults from the porch, drawing her sword. She cleaves through the mass. It drops to the ground just before reaching Osric.

As is withers away, another tangle mass flies at her. With a sequence of slices — just like Randolf had taught her — she hacks the oncoming vines to shreds.

“Elayne! Why are you here?” Osric pants, propping himself against the tree.

“I’ll keep the enemy busy while you cast your spells. I’m your tank,” she says, tossing the bag to him.

Turning back to the man, her grin fades replaced with a snarl. Baring her teeth, she growls.

“Leave, wolf girl. I am not here for you. You don’t need to die today.” His deep voice remains unphased, emotionless, as he slowly approaches her.

“If you’re here for him, then you’re here for me too.” She tightens her grip on her sword and charges.

The man pulls out a dagger with a golden hilt, just in time to block her overhead strike. She tries to pull back another swing, but her swords caught in jagged edges of his knife. A punch sinks into her stomach before sending her sliding across the grass.

As she scrambles to her feet, Osric shouts, “Elayne! Duck!” She drops back to the grass. A giant orb of water whizzes past, the man narrowly dodges. It continues onward, disappearing into the forest.

"Use the fireball!" she shouts over her shoulder.

"I can't, I'll burn down the forest. Keep him distracted — don't look at me!" Osric points.

Her head whips back as three vines shoot toward her legs, the man chasing after them, dagger raised. She hacks the vines easily. Flicking her sword up she blocks the dagger too. Arcing her arm down she swing for his side — his hand is so fast, his dagger is already there.

They move in a deadly dance of blades. Elayne unleashes every combo Alec taught her, but the man parries them all. Frustration biting at her, she jumps back to attempt a thrust — he sidesteps effortlessly. She whips her foot up for a kick, hoping to catch him off-guard, but he raises his knee to block it.

He’s only defending, and that drives Elayne into a fury. “Fight me!” she screams.

Thonk!
Something whizzes past her ear.

A rock bounces off the man's head, cracking his mask.

"Yeah! First time using earth magic!" Osric shouts.

This is her chance. She blasts off the ground, thrusting her sword at his chest — but a wall of vines erupts in front of him. She slices through the barrier. The man kneels, wiping blood from his face, his mask broken and hood down. Blood streaks from his shining blonde hair, running past his long, pointed ears.

“An elf?” Osric gasps.

Elayne springs forward, chopping down where his neck had been—but he’s gone. Only a few dead leaves flutter to the grass. Across the lawn, the man stands, unscathed. Elayne blinks, forcing herself to believe what just happened.

"Elayne! Keep going! I've got more coming!" Osric's shouting peking her back up. She’s back on top of the man in an instant.

Not giving him a moment’s rest, their blades clash again — a flurry of sparks follows.

Then, she hears them: four small rocks flying straight toward her. At the last instant, she ducks. The man's hand moves with lightning speed blocking three rocks, but the fourth nails him in the stomach, and he hunches over. Instantly, Elayne is slicing straight for his neck. As the blade hits — his body turns into dead leaves.

Elayne's blade slips through the leaves like nothing. She's overextended; arm fly wildly, she teeters off balance.

Her ears twitch. Something from beyond the trees is zipping toward her. she tries to jump, but her legs don't leave the ground — wrapped in vines.

SHINK!
A sharp, splitting pain shoots up her side—the jagged dagger lodged just below her ribs.

“Elayne!” Osric’s voice echoes.

Emerging from the shade, the man removes his mask and hood, revealing the same blonde hair and pointed ears. “No need for these anymore,” he mutters.

The pain worsens. Elayne falls to one knee. She yanks the knife out, the jagged edges tearing a hole in her side. Excruciating waves of pain shoot across her stomach as blood spills from the hole.

"No, you're supposed to leave that in!" Osric rushes over.

He grabs her sword and slices off a pant leg, wrapping it tightly around her wound. She clamps her jaw — She had no idea something could be this painful.

“That should do for now. Get out of here — go get some healing.” Osric helps her to her feet.

“No. Keep casting those rock spells.” Elayne glares at the man as he inches closer.

"I warned you, wolf girl." He stops in front of them. "Leave now. There's no need for you to die today."

“No!” She shoves Osric aside and snatches her sword.

Enduring the searing pain, she swings at him with all her strength.