[https://img.wattpad.com/story_parts/1256500160/images/17228ecc6c15dee4325624381957.png]
"What's the deal with Elva? She seems very... strict," Sophie asked.
"For as long as we've all been classmates with Elva," Fiff said, gesturing towards Trom, Rok and Vix, while her color changed to a sickening brown, "... she's never stopped complaining about how unhappy she is being in the same class as the rest of us, 'cause we're all so much less worthy than her. All of us except Rok and Beto, anyway... But you get pretty sick of listening to that."
The other kids nodded in agreement.
"Why does it bother her so much?" Sophie asked.
She thought back to the many schools she had attended, where sticking out would make people look down on you. Here, though, the only one who seemed to look down on other people was Elva.
"Good question... I don't think we've ever asked her," Fiff said thoughtfully.
Trom laid down on the grass and took a deep, peaceful breath.
"Does it even matter? I say we just accept that things are how they are and move on," he said, looking serenely at the passing clouds while his troll tail started to calmly sway from side to side.
That didn't sit right with Sophie. Elva may not have been particularly nice to her, or to anyone really, but Sophie still recognized that feeling of people not liking you.
"I'm still gonna try talking to her," she said. She walked over to the tree Elva had gone up and started to climb it.
"I'm with Sophie!" Fiff said, flying after her.
"Y-yeah, you sh-shouldn't give up on your friends... But d-do we ha-have to climb all the way up there?" Vix asked, looking up at the tall tree.
"Don't be such a scaredy-cat, Vix!" Fiff said, flying up alongside the trunk of the tree.
"I j-just don't want to f-fall and break into p-p-pieces."
"It's okay, Vix, you don't need to come with us," Sophie said.
"But I w-want to help!" Vix said and, bones chattering, started to climb the tree as well.
The only ones left on the ground were Rok and Trom.
"You guys can go if you wanna, but you're wasting your time!" Trom yelled after them.
"Rok is afraid of heights, unfortunately," Fiff said as she caught up with Sophie. "So he won't follow, even though I'm sure he'd love to help."
"My, my, who do we have here?" sounded a triumphant voice from up above them. Sophie, Fiff and Vix all looked upwards. They recognized him straight away. It was Drim the satyr. He was standing up by the tree house at the top of the tree, looking down at Sophie with a devilish smile.
"Don't you know that the trees are only for the older kids?"
Drim waved one of his hands, and a tree branch as wide as Sophie came hurtling towards her. If she didn't get out of the way, it was going to crush her. Almost by instinct she let go of the branch that she had been hanging from. She started falling and desperately tried to grab onto another branch on her way down.
Above her, she saw the massive branch that Drim had sent to attack her twisting in the air, still looking for her where she'd been a second ago. Sophie kept trying to grab onto something she could hold onto, but her hands weren't finding anything. There was nothing to catch onto and nothing to break her fall! She kept falling directly towards the ground.
Rok quickly leapt to his feet. A thick layer of soft moss started to grow all over his stone arms. He stretched out his now moss-covered arms and managed to catch her just before she hit the ground. The moss was so soft that Sophie didn't even get hurt by the fall.
The moss was so soft that Sophie didn't even get hurt by the fall [https://img.wattpad.com/1c18465a8ef934ea504806ee487df236deb9a4c7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f76646d58474d47677457487334673d3d2d313235363530303136302e313730396263356233336366363061383731343839363133313938322e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"Thank you, Rok!"
Rok said nothing and just smiled pleasantly at her.
Drim made a few more quick movements with his arms, and the branch swatted down Fiff, sending her falling. Next it went after Vix, but rather than just hitting him, the branch grabbed onto Vix so tightly that one of his arms and one of his legs both popped off.
Fiff flapped her wings wildly and managed to stop herself from falling further.
"Drim, let go of Vix now!" Fiff yelled angrily. A fiery red glow was flaring up around her tiny body.
"Why would I? I heard that the bone slurpers are veeery hungry today. So I wanna see how fast this guy can run. Unless any of you are going to stop me." Drim looked at Sophie like he was challenging her directly. And again, for just a moment Sophie thought she caught a glimpse of the same glowing red eyes she'd seen in the dark forest.
"Oh n-noooo!" Vix sobbed.
Fiff darted off, flying directly towards Drim at top speed. Again, Drim swung his arms, and the branches of the tree swiped at her. But this time Fiff was prepared. She nimbly avoided the branches and kept flying towards Drim.
"Get away. You're not the one I'm supposed to capture!" he snarled.
Capture? Sophie thought. Who was he trying to capture, and why?
Drim raised his hands and muttered some magical words. Several new branches started growing from the trunk of the tree. They all swung towards Fiff, and again she got swatted back towards the ground.
Sophie was very impressed by Fiff. She just wouldn't quit. As soon as the little fairy hit the ground, she got to her feet and was ready to give it another try.
As soon as the little fairy hit the ground, she got to her feet and was ready to give it another try [https://img.wattpad.com/9baae100cdf1b9b5e92ce2b4d223412fa06eaf17/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f546334464e70517864394b5369673d3d2d313235363530303136302e313730396263366366643062396666653331363538333230373730382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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"Oh, just give up already!" Trom yelled at them, annoyed by the sound of battle.
"Not on your life! He's got Vix!" Fiff yelled angrily, then flew up at Drim again.
Again, the branches came swinging towards her. The first branch that was coming at her was at least twice as big as she was, but that didn't faze her. She raised a tiny fist and punched right through it. The branch split right in two!
Fiff flashed a gloating smile, but just for a moment forgot to mind her surroundings [https://img.wattpad.com/7fb963436e053292b47cc8aca8061927c52d33f5/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f73736e30325f434a5958385a42773d3d2d313235363530303136302e313730633235313666653838393538663632333039353039363633372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Fiff flashed a gloating smile, but just for a moment forgot to mind her surroundings. Drim immediately seized the opportunity, swinging another branch at the small fairy. Once again she was knocked back down to the ground.
This time her wings didn't have the strength to stop her fall. Sophie leapt to catch her, landing on her stomach with her hands outstretched. She caught her, mere inches before Fiff would have hit the ground.
Sophie looked at Fiff. She didn't look great. She was out of breath and had gotten a lot of scratches from the violent branches, but it was clear from her look that she was already raring to go again.
"Fiff, I think maybe we should try something different," Sophie said. She tried to speak calmly so that the small fairy would slow down a little, but Fiff was too worked up to listen.
"No way! I'm not giving up! I can take Drim! You'll see!"
"No way! I'm not giving up! I can take Drim! You'll see!" [https://img.wattpad.com/99317aa0cc859fea7e5b43805bdf034783b9cbed/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f664e465939753033706d576f6b773d3d2d313235363530303136302e313730396263376232353032336466343532383736363034383636352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
That wasn't what Sophie had meant at all. It wasn't that she wanted Fiff to give up, she just wanted her to try using a different strategy. But Fiff didn't seem open to talking right now, and she had already started her next assault.
Sophie had to find a way to help Fiff.
But how?
She looked around. What did she have to work with? Not a lot. There was grass, a few of Vix' body parts, and some small rocks. Maybe she could throw the rocks at Drim? No, he was too high up for her to reach...
But what if...?
She'd had an idea. It was one of those odd thoughts that would have made the teachers at her old schools shake their heads in disapproval. Maybe it would be better not to try it... But if she didn't do something, Fiff would just get another beating.
"Vix, I'm just gonna borrow your arm!" she yelled, picking up the arm that was lying on the ground before he could even answer. She put a rock into its hand and closed its fingers around it.
"When I say 'now', you just throw the rock!" she yelled up at Vix.
"Um, o-okay?" Vix stuttered.
If she just gave herself a longer arm for throwing, maybe that would mean she could throw much further? It was worth a try, at least
She took a few steps back and got into the right stance. She could see Fiff still battling her way up towards Drim. Sophie aimed carefully, then drew back her extended arm.
"Now!" she yelled, and together she and Vix threw the rock at full strength.
It worked! Just as Sophie had hoped, the rock got an extra boost. It was flying directly at Drim, but he had seen Sophie, so he was prepared for the incoming attack. Drim wagged his little finger ever so slightly, and a branch knocked the rock away in mid-air. He gave another small flick with his hand, and a branch ripped itself from the tree and came flying straight towards Sophie.
The branch was flying so fast that Sophie didn't have time to move. Suddenly roots came shooting up from the ground right in front of her, knocking the branch away. A surprised Sophie followed the path of the roots with her eyes to see where they came from. They seemed to be coming from a tree nearby, and at the top of the tree stood... Elva?
Did Elva just save me? Sophie thought with surprise.
Her thoughts were cut short by the sound of another branch being smashed to bits by Fiff.
They had to do something about Drim. Sophie had to think of something better. She needed to get his attention away from Fiff. Just for a moment.
"Just give it up, Sophie. Drim is one of the strongest magic users at the school. No way you're getting up that tree," Trom said with a yawn from somewhere behind her. But if Fiff refused to give up, Sophie wouldn't either.
Fiff smashed another branch. She was getting close to the top of the tree now. Drim raised both his hands up towards the heavens. Almost all of the tree's branches gathered in a giant formation above him. He flashed a devilish grin towards Fiff.
It was now or never. Sophie had to do something, or this would all go horribly wrong. Could she just throw another rock? No, Drim would see that coming. All she had to distract him with was her words. She had to think of something to say that he wouldn't see coming, so that she could catch his attention. Maybe an insult? No, Drim had already said that there was no insult that could surprise him anymore. Then what?
Drim's eyes were locked on Fiff. She was within his reach now. He smiled a superior smile.
Sophie had another idea. It wasn't really a great idea, and it very likely wouldn't work, but she was out of time. She had to give it a try.
"HEY, DRIM!" she yelled.
Drim just ignored her, and with all his might he made the gigantic branch he had formed swing down towards Fiff.
"I THINK YOU'RE REALLY COOL!"
"I'm WHAT?!" Drim almost lost his balance from the sudden shock. He turned towards Sophie and looked at her in surprise. It was pretty clear that those words were the last thing he had expected to hear. His face had a look of complete confusion. He soon started to make sense of it, though, as a fiery red glow appeared behind him. He swallowed something nervously and slowly turned around to face the thing behind him.
Fiff was glowing a furious red. Drim looked at her terrified. The tree let go of Vix and he fell to the ground. Fiff grabbed Drim by the collar of his cape in her tiny hands.
Fiff grabbed Drim by the collar of his cape in her tiny hands [https://img.wattpad.com/85fda987fcab3886c9a7d3d3a6a6f2596508fe13/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f464e55475531425a784a4a7452773d3d2d313235363530303136302e313730396263383466376261333863303937353935343639373235362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
She lifted him up and hurled him through the air. Drim went flying across the schoolyard and landed in one of the far-off rivers, making a massive splash! Fiff, Rok, Vix, and Sophie all cheered at their victory.
Trom just stared in disbelief in the direction that Drim had been thrown.
"You're kidding me! They actually did it!" Trom exclaimed, surprising even himself.
Fiff flew down to Sophie. "Thank you so much for..." Fiff's cheerful demeanor instantly turned to one of shame as she seemed to remember something. "... I'm sorry I yelled at you!"
Sophie gave her a forgiving smile. "Don't worry about it."
"C-can someone help me p-put myself back together?" Vix asked.
Once again, roots came shooting out of the ground, and they quickly reassembled Vix. Elva appeared, walking towards them.
"Thanks for stopping that branch from hitting me," Sophie said with a smile.
"Well, it was clear that you simpletons couldn't make it against Drim on your own. Us proper folks have to take care of you people's mess-ups," she said pompously, walking past all of them towards the school. Almost immediately, the school bell rang. Recess was over.
“Us proper folks?” Sophie thought exasperatedly. Why did Elva think that she was better than anyone else? But she was distracted from her thoughts as the other kids started talking and patting her on the back for her efforts as they began walking to their next lesson.
But she was distracted from her thoughts as the other kids started talking and patting her on the back for her efforts as they began walking to their next lesson [https://img.wattpad.com/6f666b1b0defb124237da020e6c2cd267b047b86/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f765a6951534935486653515863413d3d2d313235363530303136302e313732323865666335636265356233633535343833333733303335302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Sophie was lying in her bed with the duvet pulled up over her head [https://img.wattpad.com/8c8906bfb2eff326a3f9cd52b86ce8ec6d8acc52/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f767862706948304a73664a7570673d3d2d313235333934313835302e313733663230616534623765333861363936343636313337343032322e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
- Next chapter Monday the 23th of January