“Do you know why I did that?” The orc grinned proudly.
“I do not appreciate it,” Mira narrowed her eyes, “I thought you were supposed to serve me? Is that not the oath you took?”
“How exactly could we spar efficiently if you were hiding your powers?” Amethyst plucked her hatchet from the ground, “Your reflexes were impressive, but I could tell you were holding back with the guard.”
Thesson grunted, “I held back too. I didn’t want to hurt her if she wasn’t the woman I thought.”
“When you realized, you should have tried harder,” She winked, “She needs a challenge after her long nap.”
“Val!” Mira called angrily.
The small woman ran to her. She flung her matted brown hair behind her as she approached. Mira handed her the sword and dagger.
“You don’t think you need weapons?” Amethyst lifted an eyebrow.
“Did Gimma not warn you?” She grinned devilishly, “I do not need anyone else’s weapons. Val, clear enough space. This may be a rather wide match. Amethyst, how long has it been since you’ve had a proper challenge?”
The orc’s tusks protruded from under her lips as she grinned, “Long enough.”
“What are your rules?” She stretched her arms out to relax the muscles.
“Don’t kill me,” She laughed, “Besides that, I’ll heal. The same way you do.”
“On your count then,” Mira nodded.
Mossy green skin flashed across the field towards Mira. As she ducked from a swing of the hatchet, a long-bladed glaive appeared in her hand to block the sword swinging from behind. Amethyst rolled off the block and landed on her feet. Thesson barely had time to blink before the sounds of colliding blades rang through the air.
“A summoner?” She grinned, “And here I thought you would be dramatic and throw fireballs.”
“If you would like,” Mira shrugged.
“Don’t hold back on my account,” She laughed.
Fire the color of her hair danced along her fingertips. Mira felt a dizziness come over her gaze as it warmed. As the two rushed to attack again, she dug the blade of her spear into the ground and launched herself upwards. Amethyst pivoted her strike, but a flaming hand came down and knocked her from her feet. As the orc rolled along the ground to catch herself, her hatchet struck out at the flaming hand. The glaive reappeared in Mira’s hands to block the strike. The strange battle caught the attention of the others around them. Most stopped to view the two hitting blow for blow, without landing a hit on the other. Her foot collided with the orc’s shoulder as she launched herself away.
“Why aren’t you hitting her?” Encante grumbled, “We could easily win.”
“The guards are watching. I want to keep something a surprise,” The thought crossed her mind.
A surge of energy ran through her veins. She flooded her legs with the magic to make each stride longer, each jump higher, and for it to hurt when her foot collided into the orc’s side. Amethyst grunted and swiped at Mira with her sword. She wrapped her leg around the orc’s torso to swing from the blade and bring the pair to the ground.
Amethyst laughed as Mira swiftly summersaulted back to her feet, “You had excellent training.”
Mira squatted low and held her spear behind her. She simply nodded and waited for Amethyst to return to her feet. As the orc stood, the hair on her arms stood on end. Strength radiated from Amethyst.
“I heard you had a great ungrathal with the orcs around here,” The orc looked towards the guards, “Would you care if I enlisted help?”
As her eyes wavered to check the guards, a booming noise cracked the air around her. Mira twirled around the bolt of lightening that cracked towards her from Amethyst’s pointed finger. The smell of singed hair drifted in the air.
“And here I thought that I could distract you enough to land a hit.”
“By a hair,” Mira grinned, “You’ve been holding back?”
“So have you,” Amethyst pointed to them, “Shall I invite them to join?”
“What are you looking for? A weakness?”
“No, just the opposite,” The orc rubbed as she rotated her shoulder where Mira kicked her, “You clearly want a greater challenge or I would have more than just bruises.”
“Should anyone wish to join our match, feel free to pick her side,” Mira pointed her blade towards Amethyst, “Or make sure there is enough room. Do not harm them.”
“Thesson, was it? You should provide your talents for this as well,” The orc grinned, “I can sense a bit but cannot tell what you can do.”
“It is definitely not as impressive as what I just saw,” He snorted, “But I can.”
“What else do I need to do to satisfy your requirements? Blindfold myself so you can see I know my way around a blade?” Mira snorted.
“Actually, if you could,” She laughed, “I would be interested to see.”
“Fine.”
“Wait, you’re just going to agree to that?” Thesson hesitated, “With a woman that just shot lightening from her fingers?”
“If I cannot protect myself in absolute darkness, then I will die when she tires of me,” She shrugged, “I’m confident I won’t be harmed.”
“Care to take another bet?” Val asked as she twirled her own blade to loosen her wrist, “Anyone lands a hit gets to ask a question?”
“I do not know why I am being interrogated,” Mira narrowed her eyes.
“It’s no fun if there’s not a prize,” Amethyst twirled her hatchet and tucked it back into her waistband.
She approached Mira with her hands raised in surrender. Her spear disappeared as Amethyst tore a piece of cloth from her shirt. She wrapped it across her amber eyes. She adjusted it to completely block her vision as the orc walked away.
“Do you want me to know how many opponents I have?” She tightened the blindfold, “I cannot promise no one will be harmed because I cannot see my opponents.”
“Then pull your punches as you see fit,” Thesson stated, “Let us know when you’re ready.”
Mira nodded and looked towards the ground. She took a deep breath and centered herself. Encante’s cackle echoed in her mind as she pushed her energy outward. It flowed in the air around her and she felt the energy stiffen. In the darkness of her vision, each footstep showed footprints at the appropriate distance away with lilac rippled flowing towards her. Each clank of a blade of armor gave flashes of positions as those that wanted to join surrounded her. Amethyst’s source of energy glowed like a dim light where she stood. A tiny flickering flame followed Thesson’s footsteps.
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It was a new, yet familiar sensation. She realized that this was nearly how the wraith’s dark mist alerted her.
“Impressed?” Encante’s voice denoted a grin she couldn’t see.
“Ready.”
There was a deep hesitation before the first person made the move. Mira summoned a dagger to her left hand to catch the blade of the person behind her. In a fluid motion, a sword extended from her right arm as she reached out to block another strike. She swiped the blade and knocked the weapon from their hand. She sniffed the static in the air and crossed her blades to deflect the thrown electric bolt. She frowned as it bounced off the person next to her.
“Amethyst, can you not control your spells from striking those it doesn’t intend to hit?” Mira called as she kicked the person running up to strike her from behind.
Her foot rammed steel plate and the guard fell. She dodged another blade and her weapons morphed into her favored spear. She slashed towards the ground to trip whoever stood in front of her. A low mumble behind her caught her attention as she ducked under another blade and elbowed her attacker.
“Zrud, give me strength. Goddess, mend the earth in my favor,” Thessson whispered.
A glow from underneath her caught her attention. She jumped as the earth shot her upwards.
“You should have told me! We could have coordinated our attacks,” Amethyst laughed.
A projectile broke through Mira’s energy field and she swiftly cut it from the air. Two items clanked to the ground on either side of her. She hoped the damned hatchet that annoyed her was finally taken care of.
“How in Goddess’s green gardens –”
Mira took the opportunity to use the blunt end of her spear to smack the speaker in the stomach. At least, she thought it was their stomach. The small echoes of movement only showed footsteps. The grunt and sound of falling opponent made her smirk. As Thesson began to mumble his spell again, she slid between the legs of someone and popped up to throw a flame into his chest plate. The unaccounted-for momentum threw him from his feet as she was thrown into the air. She flipped and gracefully landed back in the center of the combatants.
“I want to try something, Mira,” Encante’s voice called from her mind as a shadow of herself performed what he thought, “You worked on this with fire. Let’s see if we can.”
She simple nodded and danced around another strike. She felt the hairs on her arms stand on end again. She felt her body tense as memories flashed before her eyes. She smacked another attack away and prepared for what he wanted to do. As Amethyst launched another bolt of lightning at her, and the spear disappeared from her hands. As a glowing beam launched towards her, she reached out to grab it.
The shocking sensation filled her body as she twirled and launched it back towards Amethyst. Magic burst from her as the electricity left her hands. The feeling left her strained and weakened. She waited impatiently for the next person to attack her while she wheezed on the ground to catch her breath. The groans around her caused her to lift her blindfold.
As a few of the guards rolled around in agony from the electric shock in their metal armor. One of the bandits crawled away from the fray to nurse his injured arm. Val gripped her bleeding side and coughed. Thesson tried to comb the singed hairs of his beard out. Amethyst laid out, unmoving, on the ground some distance away.
“Orc –are you dead?” Mira tossed the blindfold off.
“In my seventy-three years, never has anyone thrown my spell back at me,” She groaned and sat up, “Deflected? Sure. Dodged? If they’re lucky. Returned to sender? Never.”
Mira held a hand for her to grapple as she lifted the woman to her feet. The orc clapped her hands around Mira’s shoulders and shook her lightly.
“What in Goddess’s name possessed you to try that?” Amethyst’s purple eyes burrowed deep into Mira, “Do you know how much power I put into that? I thought for sure I had you with that one.”
“The last time I trained, I attempted to do something similar with fire,” She said flatly, “If I moved fast enough, it should have worked. It did.”
“Can someone around here be excited with me about this?” She rolled her eyes and shoved the woman lightly, “That was a spectacle. Then – what did you do to knock everyone from their feet?”
“I do not know. I was blindfolded.”
Val groaned, “She shocked us.”
“I forced some of the spell outwards,” Encante chuckled, “I found it amusing.”
“It looks like I may have used some of the power to knock them away from me,” Mira smirked at Encante’s nonchalance, “If you give me a small rest, I will be able to continue.”
“Absolutely not,” Amethyst burst into a fit of giggles, “I’m old and tired. We are done for today.”
“I think I’m done for the week,” A guard grumbled as he got to his feet.
“I need a healer,” Val grabbed the split on her side, “I thought I practiced my dodge enough.”
Mira slinked up to her and motioned for the woman to move her hands. Val spread her leather bodice to show the cut beneath. She examined the wound closely before placing a few fingers above it.
“It’s not very deep,” Mira looked to her, “May I?”
Val nodded. Mira forced heat into her fingers and placed them against her skin. The woman winced as she cauterized the wound.
“You have worse bruising,” She nodded, “It should be fine. Ask Tella to check and clean it when we return.”
“Yes, Leader.”
“You there! Are you bruised or broken?” She pointed to the bandit that stood on all fours on the ground wheezing.
The dark-skinned orc had broad shoulders and thick muscles. His hair was nearly brown stubble, with odd tribal patterns carved in. He sat down and gripped his side with a wince.
“Quince, Leader,” He gripped his side and winced, “Don’t know. I think the wind just got knocked out of me.”
“Check with Healer Irae. You need to rest if you have broken bones,” She nodded, “Thesson, are your guards okay?”
The dwarf frowned and looked around to his men, “Agroth will need a new backplate. Probably will have to have the whole thing replaced, honestly.”
The dwarf lifted himself from the ground and the large dent in his armor became more apparent. Mira went to inspect the dent. Agroth took the armor off and handed it to her.
“Sunodagh should be able to –” She stopped, “Never mind. I will see that it gets fixed. I believe a new blacksmith is coming to town soon, right?”
“End of next week. It depends on delays,” Val nodded.
“You three,” Mira pointed to Quince and two other bandits slinking towards the temple, “I expect you to find the blacksmith and make sure they arrive to Vimgraunt without delay. Val, get whatever supplies they need.”
“Yes, Leader.”
“I promised to help with the farm’s granary tomorrow,” The larger human bandit held his hand to interject, “I’m big enough to hoist some of the beams.”
“I can do that,” Amethyst grinned proudly, “Show me who to speak to when we return.”
Mira looked around to make sure everyone walked and talked normally. When she was satisfied that no one was grievously injured, she turned and walked towards the temple without another word. Val snapped at the bandit group to walk faster and catch up. Thesson jogged forward to walk in pace with Mira.
“Guard Thesson, you understand what Amethyst wanted to do there, right?”
“No,” He huffed.
“First, she wanted to confirm your suspicions that I am who I am,” Mira held up three fingers, “Second, she wanted to assess my abilities for herself. Third, she wanted you to see that even if I did not agree to go with you to Hangral –there was no way you could take me.”
Thesson blinked, “What do you—”
“The conniving idiot wanted you to see with your own eyes that you would not have a chance to take me,” She looked at him, “And she is right. Do not force my hand. I will leave when I am ready. Do you understand that, now?”
He looked into her empty, honey-colored eye. The emotionless gaze sent a shiver up his spine. The blindfolded warrior did not have a scratch on her from that sparing match. In fact, if she hadn’t sweated or been covered in dirt, he wouldn’t have believed for a moment she fought at all.
“Yes,” He nodded, “I will keep telling my superiors I have yet to find you but still have my doubts of Priestess Rose. If I tell them otherwise, I would be expected to apprehend you immediately.”
“I know most do not lie to their superiors,” Mira looked ahead to path leading back to Vimgraunt, “But I am not ready to leave. Not yet.”
“When will you be?”
“When I am sure the area is safe.”
The group of tired and beaten soldiers walked back to the temple. Tella ran up to Mira and jumped into her arms. She laughed as she caught the girl.
“You left without me!” She pouted.
“We went to practice. I was nearby,” She sat her back down, “I will not travel far if you don’t want me to.”
“Good,” The girl hugged Mira around the hips, “I got scared.”
“Sunodagh and Irae were here with you,” She patted her head, “You would’ve been safe until I got here.”
“Promise?”
Mira looked into the crystal blue eyes that mirrored the ones in her nightmares. She smiled softly and nodded to the girl. Amethyst leaned against Mira’s arm and sighed loudly.
“What are we doing today?”
“Whatever my friend wants to do,” She looked to Tella, “You’ve finished your lessons for today?”
“I’ve got reading lessons later!”
“What should we do until then?”
“Some of the other girls want to make dolls and play. Can we play too?”
“You’ll have to teach me how,” Mira chuckled.
Amethyst gave her a funny look at her words. She shook her head and bent to press her finger on Tella’s nose. She had seen Irae do that a few times and it always made the girl laugh.
“Okay!” The girl grinned, “Let’s go!”
She grabbed Mira’s hand and led her to a small room inside the temple. The girls stopped and stared at them as they entered. Scraps of fabric, wool, and sewing supplies were centered in the small group. Tella waved awkwardly and sat by them.
“Hi! Can we make dolls too?”
“Mommy says I’m not allowed to talk to her,” One of them whispered and looked to Mira.
“Mira is nice! She won’t hurt us.”
“I do not have to –”
Tella frowned and crossed her arms, “High Priestess Nara says Mira is allowed in the temple. Is your mommy better than her?”
“Tella,” Mira lowered her voice, “You shouldn’t do that. I can wait over here. Play with your friends.”
“You’re my friend too,” She frowned.
“And you are mine.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep her company,” Amethyst grinned and gripped her shoulder, “She’ll have to get used to me.”