Wizard of the Wood
Standing Strong

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25

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She could hear nothing. Nothing but the beating of her own heart rang in her ears. Every breath was drowned out by the rapid, rhythmic sound of each beat forcing blood to roar in her ears.

Was this really happening?

Was she really about to do this?

There was a town full of people who undoubtedly thought of her as a monster. To them, she was the Sorceress of Fanged Ridge. To them, she was a giant who, at any time, could change her motives of being a passive people snatcher lurking in the woods to an active, terroristic threat.

Was she really about to put everything on the line to save them?

Yes.

She was about to put everything on the line to save them – all because Rylir asked her to save them.

There was still a significant part of her that believed it was a mistake bringing her handheld companion with her, but there was no other choice to be had.

Besides, she wanted him there.

He was, after all, the only friend she had in the entire world.

As she sped down the mountainside and landed firmly onto the cold ground beneath, she took special care as she ran to dodge tree after tree. Despite her immense form, she moved silently through the trees, leaving not a trace of her presence behind.

Her mind began to strategize the moment she left her home.

She would have to replace the perimeter of the town and burry a few trap sigils there. This way, if anything tried to run past or if a spell were fired toward the town, it would be stopped and sucked into the ground. There were a few places Essie spotted in the fields leading up to the town that would be good for this.

There was also the potential to set traps further into the field. The shields so close to the town should be a last resource.

The biggest issue was that she did not know what kind of tactic her adversaries would be using. Would they be physical? Ranged? Magic?

Regardless, she had to come up with…

Essie’s heart came to a sinking halt as she came to the edge of the clearing. Rylir saw it too. How could they not see it?

There, arms hurdling forward in mid-throw, were five hooded figures. In their hands, Essie could see there were hand sized bottles, though she couldn’t see what was inside of them. Essie did, however, see one thing she recognized – Daemia. She was standing in the center while two individuals stood to her left and two stood to her right.

Essie didn’t need to see what was in the bottles to know that it was dangerous – hazardous.

She needed to act.

Simultaneously, as the bottles were hurdled into the air, Essie darted forward to stand in between the town and the bottles. She raised her hand in a flinging motion, willing the spell from her mind to her fingers. The bottles, as they were spiraling, suddenly veered off course as though an invisible tether had attached themselves to the cork and then were yanked away toward the tree line.

All eyes turned from the town to Essie, who now walked purposefully between the town and the five assailants who were looking to cause harm.

Essie steeled herself as she cast a fateful side-eye in the direction of the five people, specifically Daemia who was standing in the middle. A familiar, wicked grin spread across her face. A knowing look gleamed in her eyes.

“Ezra, what a pleasure seeing you again; and seeing you so soon,” she grinned.

“I am pleased to say that I cannot extend the same pleasantries to you, Daemia,” Essie growled, preparing herself for whatever was going to be thrown her way. Daemia cackled, throwing her head back and laughing heartily, as she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye.

“Ezra, you were always so polite and pleasant. Come now, I brought a few of your companions. You remember them, don’t you?” she asked, a singsong, teasing tone laced in her words. Essie dared to glance at the faces of the other four hooded companions, which was a temporary misguided judgment on Essie’s part.

Instantly, she was met with the four faces of people she had seen in her past.

Kurst.

Dephligm.

Venra.

Lusha.

The veil in her mind swayed as the dam threatened to break, the barriers becoming thinner in her mind. Images of their twisted, screaming faces flashed in Essie’s mind. She could recall all of their screams so clearly now.

How?

How could she have forgotten these four?

They all had the same dream of freedom one day…

Now? Now their eyes looked glazed over with horrors Essie suspected lingered behind the veil in her own mind. Did they remember her? Had they volunteered to come for some kind of revenge? Or were they forced to come by some kind of magical influence?

“Essie, stay with me.” Rylir’s whisper in her ear snapped Essie out of her trance. “She brought them for a reason. Don’t let it get to you.”

Essie physically shook away the images in her mind and refocused her attention on the people in front of her.

“I remember them. I remember all of you,” stated Essie before calling to her once known companions. “Why are you with her? Has she twisted your mind beyond reason?”

“Now now Ezra. Don’t be like that. They came on their own. They see their purpose and have accepted it,” scolded Daemia lightly. “I was hoping that you would be the one to see reason.”

At this, Essie scoffed. “Reason? There is no reason for killing innocence. How you perceive something doesn’t matter. Facts are facts, and these beings which you insist on destroying in the name of expansion are not lesser because they are smaller.”

Daemia groaned sarcastically and strode forward a half a dozen paces toward Essie, who only took one defensive step back as she continued to hold her ground.

“Now, Ezra, be reasonable. It is just the way of things. One species needs something that another species has, they fight, and naturally one survives. It is natural selection. We are merely… accelerating the process for the benefit of our kind,” stated Daemia, adopting Essie’s matter-of-fact tone.

“You are predicating your argument on the notion that expansion is necessary for a species to survive,” argued Essie. “You are also assuming you are fighting. This is not a fight. It is a massacre. It is unethical and I will not stand idly by while you do this to these people.”

Daemia tilted her head curiously to one side and then the other.

“Ezra, you have so much Potential. You’re diluted by that poorly situated, simple minded vertebrate on your shoulder,” said Daemia. “Come back. Come back to us. Come back to me. Let me help you recognize your full Potential. I’m sure you want to remember how to tap into your full power, yes? Stand by me and help us finish this town.”

Essie heard Daemia, though she wasn’t listening. She was too infuriated by Daemia’s insult toward Rylir to truly care about this nonsense about Potential and her full power. Her stark white hair lifted with arcane energy. She felt her fingertips tingling in preparation to cast any and all spells in her arsenal.

“Over my mutilated corpse,” threatened Essie. She felt Rylir’s hand touch the side of her neck reassuringly.

“Stand strong. I believe in you,” she heard Rylir say. Daemia, on the other hand, shook her head over and over.

“Such a waist,” sighed Daemia.

In the blink of an eye and with the utterance of a single phrase, Essie found herself in the most dangerous situation of her life.

Was she ready?