Deal Number Two

"Bless me with gracious ground, Terram tholus!" A stone appears in front of Osric's hand. He steadies his aim at the elf across the lawn, then lets it fire.

The stone hurtles toward their battle. Toward the symphony of clanging metal — almost too fast for Osric to follow. Elayne sidesteps the stone at the last second — but the elf mirrors her movement.

He’s lost count of how many rocks he’s launched. Most miss, shatter, or get dodged with ease. From the shade of the tree, all he can do is watch as Elayne pours all her strength into every swing — it makes him feel useless. Her movements are still fast, but they're waning, and her clothes are soaking with blood.

He keeps chanting, firing four more rock pellets — the elf parries them all. This is looking bad. What should I do? If only I had that magic book… a stronger spell. Why didn’t I memorize them? Maybe I should be using fire…

A kick sends Elayne tumbling across the grass. She tries to stand, but falls to her knee clutching her side. The elf is already sending another wave of vines her way.

Osric screams a spell, and a wall of fire erupts before her, incinerating the incoming vines.

She glances back for a heartbeat. Osric lifts a shaky thumbs-up, but then he starts to tip over. What is this… feeling? Oh, my head hurts.

He slaps himself, desperate to stay focused. His gaze snaps back to the fight. More vines surge toward her. She dives but they turn and chase. She circles around, leading the vines right toward the elf.

This is my chance. Osric chants the earth spell, creating a boulder this time. It hurls into the fray. As it leaves his hand, he falls to his butt. His vision leaves him, static in its place. The ground spins beneath him. No, am I... running out of mana? I never run out. I thought I had infinite! I can't faint. Not now!

What about Sloth? No way. If that guy possesses me again... He might kill Elayne.

A squelch sound unsettles his ears. Elayne's shriek follows. His vision finally returns, Elayne is down on one knee, a vine through her shoulder. She hacks it off, yanking the withering end free before collapsing to her side.

"Elayne!" Osric shouts, scampering to his feet.

The elf thrusts his hand toward the soil. The ground shakes. As if wrestling with resistance, he shakily lifts his arm. Following his motion, a large log with a sharpened tip bursts from the ground. With his hand raised high, the log follow, floating above his head. He flicks his arm forward. The log rockets toward Elayne, motionless in the grass.

As if time has slowed, Osric makes a split-second decision. I’m not letting anyone else die because of me.

His feet explode off the grass. Running faster than he ever has in either of his lives, seemingly keeping pace with the hurling log, he grasps Elayne by the shirt and flings her out of the way — just as the log pierces his chest.

Relief washes over him — not pain as he watches Elayne roll across the lawn.

His eyes flick to the gaping hole in his chest. The elf came for me. So he'll leave Elayne alone now.

A smile pulls his lip up — her arm twitches. She's alive. He saved her. I did something. This is... okay.

"Osric!" Elayne screams. His name slices her throat as it escapes. Her heart falls from her chest as she watches him flop to the grass.

Crack!
The slave collar around her neck snaps in two, sliding off. Her stomach twists into a knot.

"Osric!" Her fingers slice into the soil, ripping out grass and dirt as she claws herself forward. "Osric!" Each movement burns through her body like scalding fire. "Osric! Osric!"

She hauls herself onto her knees and grabs Osric by the shoulders, holding him close. His head lolls lifelessly. "Osric?" she rattles him, his head bobbing like a ragdoll.

"No, no! Osric!" She shakes him violently, but he doesn’t respond, only blood dripping out of the hole in his chest." "Someone help! Someone heal him, please!" She cradles him in his arms, fighting to stand. "Mama! Anne! Alec! Help me!" She can't rise from her knees, but she inches toward the forest. "Randolf! Catalina!" She struggles forward.  "Please don't Osric!" Her eyes burn, refusing to meet his half-open, glassy stare.

She catches something at the corner of her eye. The man — the sight of him makes her halt. He's dumping out Osric's bag by the tree. Two books and a necklace fall out. He scoops up one of the books. Her eyes are locked on his blurry figure as he heads for the woods.

Her heart is back. It's beating, pounding. Smoldering.

"Are you angry, little one?" A deep, thunderous voice echoes in her head.

Suddenly, the necklace rises and floats over. It looks exactly like the necklace Osric had bought her for her birthday — like the necklace her father had bought for her, except the gem is red. A blazing red.

It settles in front of her. "You are angry. You are furious. You want revenge. I can give it to you." The gem shifts to a mirror.

Tears are pouring down her face, a quivering frown tugs at her lips. But her eyes — her eyes are full of rage, fiery wrath.

"You want to kill that man."

Her eyes flick back up at the man, disappearing into the shade. Her heart ignites. She's surging with energy. She can stand. The pain is gone. Her face contorts in ways she didn't know were possible.

"That man is a monster. If you wish to kill him, you'll need to become a devil. I can give you that power... Just put me around your neck."

Elayne doesn't even think; her body moves on its own. She sets Osric down and snatches the necklace. Reaching behind her neck, she fastens the clasp — everything disappears.

She's standing on... nothing. All she can see is black. The forest is gone. The sky is gone.

A giant face appears before her: a man, deep wrinkles etched into his crimson skin, and two pointed horns curving up out of his forehead.

"I can give you the power to burn anything," the face says as it erupts in flames. "If you agree to my deal—"

"I agree," Elayne blurts out, without hesitation.

The face bursts into bellowing laughter. "I like you, little one. Don't even need to hear the terms... so be it."

Elayne's back in the forest. Her body is engulfed in brilliantly orange flames. She feels powerful. She feels unstoppable.

She looks into the trees. The man is just barely in view.

"I'll kill you! BASTAAAARD!"