Chapter 21: Broken Promises

Wyn was quiet the rest of the night. She didn’t say anymore, and Magus didn’t ask anymore. She laid on a mattress of grass, slowly drifting in and out of sleep. He simply sat by the crackling fire, watching as the smoke rose through the hole in the mudstone hut. Intuitively, Magus understood that it was not a happy story. It was obvious enough that those memories brought about nothing but pain. Yet, still, for the briefest moment, a single thought flashed through Magus’ mind. Only for a flash, before he ripped it from his mind.

If only I could remember like you do.

Magus let out a sigh. How terrible, to be envious of another’s misfortune. Magus had been trapped, sealed away in a forsaken forest and his memories ripped from his mind. If anything, he should consider himself lucky he couldn’t remember.

He moved to the opposite side of their makeshift abode. He patted the dirt and grass, lying down on his back. He closed his eyes. He didn’t need to sleep, he never has. He didn’t even know if he could. He certainly hasn’t ever tried. He didn’t know if he wanted to. He’s had his fill of unconsciousness. But there was a chance that if he did sleep, he too would see something. Anything. Even something painful would be welcome. As he laid there, though, the only thing he saw was the back of his eyelids, the flicker of firelight that peeked through the thin skin.

One minute passed, then two. Then ten. A whole hour. Neither memory nor sleep graced him with their presence. He sat up, glancing toward Wyn, still sleeping soundly. He brushed a loose strand of hair from Wyn’s forehead. Her face was calm. Magus would’ve never guessed the turmoil that hid behind that facade. Even if it were merely a mask, Magus preferred this gentle visage over the pained expression she had earlier. If… if confronting this sister of hers brought her this much pain, perhaps… Perhaps it’d be better if they didn’t meet again.

“If seeing this Roselwyn is too much…” He whispered. “Then you shouldn’t see her. Yes, you shouldn’t see her.” He stood up. “You can leave this to me.”

Earlier, Wyn had broken her promise to Magus. She had run, abandoning him. Though, Magus could hardly consider himself better. He’d have to break his promise to her, too. If it meant that Wyn would no longer feel this pain, he’d kill this Roselwyn.

The Wings were on the move. As soon as they recovered, the two had rushed back to the guild.

“The princess—!” Those were the only words Theodore needed to say before the captain was barreling out the door. Lyza barely had time to change before they were sprinting through the forest.

“She’s here? Where?” The captain roared.

“Taken, by some strange magus.”

It had been a while since any of them had seen their captain like this. She barreled through the forest, her stampede trampling trees like grass under her foot. They returned to the scene of the crime, a hellscape of destroyed forest, where a mountain of stone and dirt rested within a massive crater gouged out of the earth.

“Where—” Roselwyn started.

“There!” The green haired woman interrupted, pointing in a direction. Lu Lulach, a forest spirit. Born from an ancient tree in the heart of Gigant Forest, her connection to the land made her near omniscient in this forest. The trees are hardly fast talkers, but they knew everything that happened in their home. And they were all too willing to spill their secrets, if only one cared to listen.

“I’ll go on ahead!” She shouted.

“Don’t!” Lyza responded. If she hadn’t first, Theodore would’ve. “She’s with some guy, Magus. He’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous enough to challenge me?”

“Dangerous enough to kill you.” Theodore responded, motioning towards the massive crater behind them. “Especially if the princess backs him up. Although…” Theodore fell silent, thinking. “If you can separate them. I’m not sure how far, but at least 20 feet.”

“Why?” Lu Lulach asked.

“He once told me, when we were star gazing. He needs to use his ‘companion’s’ mana to cast spells. He can’t use his own, apparently. And I think it’s safe to assume that his companion is the princess.”

Lu Lulach nodded. In a second, a flower grew around her, drawing her into the earth. The root shot forward, digging through the earth at an impossible speed. The rest immediately sprinted in the same direction.

“You shouldn’t see her… You can leave this to me.”

Lu Lulach didn’t really hear what the voice had said as she erupted from the ground. It was obvious that it didn’t mean anything good.

A hundred roots sprouted from the ground, snapping into the earthen box like jaws. If it snapped around the princess, it’d simply wrap around her, leaving her unharmed. If it snapped around the man, he’d be impaled by dozens of wooden spears. She had seen what the man’s magic could do, the destruction it could cause. If he died, no one would blame her. The princess’ safety trumped all, after all.

Instead, in the settling dust, she saw a strange man blocking the roots with merely his arms. He didn’t even seem to be struggling. The princess was at his feet, unconscious. Her clothes were covered in dirt, her hair matted. At the very least, her breathing was stable. She was still alive. Lu Lulach’s face grimaced. Theodore said he called her a companion. He clearly had a poor understanding of the situation.

“I will awaken the breath of this land, the stirring of the earth—!”

He held out a finger. A beam of light, and she collapsed to the ground, a hole through the side of her head.