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They hid behind the large rock and got ready. Elva continued to make as many roots as possible come down to the ground, hunting for rocks. They could hear the sound of the rock wall cracking apart, getting closer to collapsing every second.
They could hear the sound of the rock wall cracking apart, getting closer to collapsing every second [https://img.wattpad.com/fbd4f38da37fa7d8a549ee67656be8851a9a9beb/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6d5952754c675651646567504f513d3d2d313235363530313634352e313730633236353466623438396566653831303430373732393330372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"... Sophie?"
"Yeah?"
Elva was averting her eyes, staring into the ground, as if she was about to ask something unthinkable.
"... Do you think... we could ever be... friends?"
Sophie looked at her with surprise, then smiled.
"Of course. I mean, aren't we already?"
"I'd like to be... It's just..." Elva said, sounding ashamed. "My parents are very important people in the elven kingdom and it's very important to them that people behave ... that they are ... proper."
"Is that why it matters so much to you, too?" Sophie asked.
"Yeah, they weren't too happy about me going to this school either. Ever since I started going here, they've been extra strict. If it hadn't been for principal Marro, I don't think they would have let me attend this school at all."
Elva finally met Sophie's gaze and smiled. "But I'm happy that I'm here. I really want to thank you for trying to save me, even though I've been nothing but cruel towards you."
"I wasn't gonna let you fall just because you were mean to me," Sophie laughed. "Besides, I promised my mom that I'd be nice to people on my first day!"
Just then, they heard the sound of the rock wall finally crumbling. Fenrir had broken through.
"Where are you hiding, little girls?" Fenrir grunted, his eyes darting from side to side. A cloud of dust from the torn-down wall was still hanging in the air, blurring his view of the room.
They had to act now.
"Now!" Sophie whispered.
The roots lifted up the first of the large rocks and tossed it through the air. Fenrir was quick, though, and leapt to avoid it. The smaller rocks that the roots were throwing at him seemed to have no effect, simply bouncing off his mighty body. Sophie gave Elva a small nod, and she started dipping the smaller rocks into the lava and throwing them. Sophie could tell that using this much magic was draining for Elva. Drops of sweat were starting to build on her forehead and she seemed out of breath.
The first of the small, lava-dipped rocks came hurtling through the air. The rock hit against one of Fenrir's hind legs. The wolf let out a howl of pain, which quickly turned into a furious roar. More burning hot rocks were thrown, but this time Fenrir was ready. With an impressive agility and grace, he managed to dodge them all.
"See if you can make the rocks spin in the air," Sophie whispered.
Fenrir was getting too close now. If they didn't find some way to push the wolf back, he'd soon be able to find them.
It took intense concentration, but Elva soon figured out how to make the rocks spin in the air as they were thrown. It didn't work with all of them, but it worked with enough of them to force Fenrir to take a step back, as the air filled with flying splatters of lava from the spinning rocks. The wolf couldn't dodge all of them. Small bursts of lava hit Fenrir, burning off or singing parts of his fur. He growled menacingly.
This was their chance! Elva closed her eyes and gathered up every ounce of strength that she had left. The roots grabbed and tossed the massive rock that they were clinging to and they flew through the air, but Elva's strength was almost used up. The rock didn't fly nearly as far as they had hoped.
The rock didn't fly nearly as far as they had hoped [https://img.wattpad.com/b2fb867f2c0122d76504878301a5a273932c8f99/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4b78464f4c6f41664233696e50673d3d2d313235363530313634352e313730633236356264396465343835643538393938333036353435332e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
They landed just on the other side of Fenrir. His back was towards them. Both girls held their breath. Had the wolf noticed them? No. Not yet.
They quickly got to their feet and snuck out of the room before breaking into a sprint. It wouldn't take long before the wolf noticed that the roots had stopped throwing rocks, or till he figured out why.
"Where are you hiding!?" Fenrir growled from within the small cave.
The two girls kept running as fast as they could, but Elva was falling behind. She'd spent all of her strength doing the magic, and now she could barely stand.
Sophie turned to Elva and crouched down.
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"Get on my back!" she whispered.
It would be a blow to Elva's pride, but she wasn't in any position to refuse. They had to get away, and it had to be now. She hurriedly crawled up on Sophie's back, and Sophie immediately started sprinting down the tunnel.
A loud crash sounded behind them. Fenrir was furiously making his way back out into the main tunnel. Snarling with rage, he spotted Sophie and Elva and started leaping towards them. His mouth was wide open.
If he caught up with them, he could snatch them up with one bite. Sophie kept on running. They were almost there. Not too far ahead was a small tunnel leading upwards. It was small enough that Fenrir wouldn't be able to follow if they reached it. But he was catching up with them. His fur was still on fire in several places and he had been wounded by the lava, but he was still so fast. Way too fast.
Fenrir was just a few meters behind them now. Sophie didn't dare to look back. Fenrir's razor-sharp teeth were descending towards them.
Just a little bit further! she thought. Just a little bit...
And then it happened.
Out of nowhere, the ceiling above their heads suddenly exploded [https://img.wattpad.com/43163fe075a2b35a0e3192301029999b12dca2f3/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7730326c505f57704444546f71513d3d2d313235363530313634352e313730633236363533613034353766373232393337343832363232392e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Out of nowhere, the ceiling above their heads suddenly exploded. Stone boulders came crashing down from above, and Fenrir leapt backwards to safety. Sophie fell forwards and Elva was tossed to the side. Sophie quickly got back up again, but it was no use. Right above their heads, a massive boulder came hurtling down towards them. There was nothing she could do. There was no time for her to save Elva or even herself.
Then, roots and branches started shooting out of the ground. They grabbed the falling boulder, stopping it in the air right above the two girls. Sophie looked at the branches in surprise.
Where did those roots come from? she wondered, turning to look at Elva. Did Elva do that?
No, Elva looked just as surprised as Sophie felt. Then, suddenly, Elva's expression changed. She had spotted something behind Sophie. Within seconds, all the fear and worry disappeared from her face and she broke into a tired smile.
"Nimum," she whispered.
Sophie turned around to see, and there she was, standing right in front of her. The teacher who Sophie had heard about all day. The woman who had gone to school with her parents. The Seventh Daughter of Mother Earth, and the famous adventuring teacher. Nimum.
"Cozydozy, Elva and Sophie!" Nimum said with a bright and goofy smile. "Looks like I made it just in time."
Nimum grinned at the two girls lying under the suspended boulder. Her dark orange hair, light orange hat, her blue jacket and her pirate-y shirt all looked exactly as they had that morning when she had helped Sophie find her way to the principal's office.
"Sorry about the delay, but I've been hunting all over for that rascal there," Nimum said, pointing over at Fenrir. "He's been causing all kinds of trouble today. They asked me to go and catch him, but that's easier said than done. It's been a real drag!"
Nimum turned towards Fenrir [https://img.wattpad.com/027c27f843d570f84f485094652db2708b7d26f7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f52667078414d6b3656356a5675413d3d2d313235363530313634352e313730633236363964383563343935373331303831373333373332362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Nimum turned towards Fenrir.
"Long time no see, Fenny." Nimum spoke with a confidence that seemed almost unreal when it was aimed at that enormous beast. "I see you still haven't given up on catching yourself a human. But I guess it's been a while since you've last had the chance... Like, thirty years or something like that, was it?"
"Nimum," Fenrir growled defiantly. "I thought you had left this place."
"What, and give up my job as an adventuring teacher? No way! Office jobs are just never gonna do it for me. I'd much rather be out here whooping the butt of big ol' Fenrir the wolf. Especially after what you did to my students."
Nimum stepped closer. There was no trace of fear in her eyes. Frustrated, Fenrir took a step back. He knew that Nimum wasn't someone you'd want to mess with.
But Fenrir wasn't about to give up. The great wolf howled so loudly that the walls trembled, the ground shook, and a massive wind blew through the room. Nimum didn't seem affected, though – all she did was hold onto her hat to make sure that it didn't fly away. But she didn't seem the least bit worried. Fenrir leapt towards her, opening his jaw to devour her. She quickly raised one of her arms, and from her sleeve several branches and roots came darting out. They twisted around the open jaw of Fenrir, and with a supernatural strength they forced the great wolf's maw shut. The wolf tried desperately to claw off the branches, but more and more of them twisted around his snout like a muzzle.
"Never again, Fenrir!" Nimum said, raising her voice. "Never again will I let you taste human blood!"
With a powerful movement she flung Fenrir through the air, sending him crashing into a stone wall.
The wolf quickly got to his feet and started running towards her. She raised her other arm. Roots and branches shot from the walls, aiming right at Fenrir, but he was prepared and dodged them. Concentrating all of his strength, Fenrir managed to snap the branches around his jaws. Nimum smacked her hands together and pointed them towards the ground.
The stone tunnel started to shake. Cracks started showing in the walls. Large rocks got torn loose. It was like an earthquake in the underground, but Fenrir just kept running towards Nimum. He opened his jaws wide. He was like an unstoppable force, ready to crush everything in his way.
Nimum flung both her hands upwards, and the earth disappeared under Fenrir's paws.
A gigantic tree burst from the ground. The branches entwined Fenrir's body, locking him in place in the tree's crown. The tree was growing at a speed that defied every law of nature, and Sophie remembered what Fiff had said about the Daughters of Mother Earth. That they could get entire forests to grow within minutes. The tree became larger and larger, growing up to the ceiling and through it. The tree broke through several layers of the underground, until it finally reached the surface and stretched high into the sky. Only then did it finally stop growing.
"Okey-dokey! That should keep that nasty wolf in place," Nimum said cheerfully before turning towards Sophie and Elva [https://img.wattpad.com/d0412598b7872fd80e92bbedc741f20db135567d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f744f53494f414b67566a425170773d3d2d313235363530313634352e313730633236376163326166326331663135393334333932393030372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"Okey-dokey! That should keep that nasty wolf in place," Nimum said cheerfully before turning towards Sophie and Elva. "I hope you guys aren't seriously hurt?"
They shook their heads.
"That's rad!" Nimum said gleefully, grabbing them both by the hands. "Then let's go and find the others. They're already by the lightning bird."
- Next chapter Monday the 30th of January [https://img.wattpad.com/a3fee25225a8ed43ccdc73822cf8eb163e0ad957/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f38363978335235476551515877673d3d2d313235363530313634352e313733663662376164363836353866393838313935373738363734392e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]