Champ turned away from Simon in the window to look at the other Simon who had attacked the homeowner. He became dizzy as he looked back and forth. He turned back to the window once more
“Get in here quick Simon, you have to be the real one, I refuse to believe that it's this one over here who attacked so indiscriminately!” Champ shouted
Champ turned to face the imposter and prayed that his back wouldn't be the next one with a dagger in it. He planned to look to the floor and hoped to see the figure lying there dead from the dagger strike, instead what he saw was the figure inches away from his face with an unsettling smile and weeping eyes. Champ shrieked and fell to the wooden floor with a loud thud as he landed on his bottom.
The man, the thing, was not Simon. Its face was missing features, and its details weren't there, from afar it looked just like him, same height, same clothes, and hair, but as this thing crept closer to Champ it became obvious. Each thud of his heavy boots sent shivers up Champ's spine, the weird menacing, manic look in this intruder's eyes mutilated Champ's sense of confidence. The imposter took slow heavy steps, each step dragged before it lifted and landed with a thud.
“The girl Champ! Go, hurry!” Simon shouted
Two more daggers, ones very similar to that of the previous assassins, sank into the featureless enemy. Simon ran to the doorway and conjured more and more daggers that he had collected, and provided cover and distraction for Champ. Champ stumbled up to his hands and knees and rolled desperately toward the sofa on his left. The imposter took more and more slow menacing, unrelenting steps towards Champ, as he ignored the raining assault of blades.
Champ made a good distance between himself and the imposter, and knocked over furniture as he ran past to impede his assailant finally reaching the girl,
“Can you move, are you okay? Hurry let's go... We can uh-we w- were here to help!” Champ said
As Champ reached his arms out to help carry the woman she smiled-
“Noble, righteous, and kind. What a relief! Thought I'd have to put up a more convincing fight.” the woman said.
She sat straight up in an instant
“You gentleman are in no danger, be still-”
She stood up reached down into her pocket and pulled out an ampoule. She tossed it towards the center of the room between Simon and Champ. The small container shattered into a mist, that quickly filled the surrounding area with a light misty veil, of shimmering water droplets. It was cool and refreshing to the skin and looked dazzling. The smells of Champ's sweat and the smell of the fresh homemade cooking vanished instantly and along with it, the imposter.
Simon had one arm leaning against the door jam and was panting.
“Oh Gods above lady I get you're trying to be safe but did you have to go through all of that? We mean you no harm just weary travelers looking for rest, mind if I sit here?”
Simon pointed to the floor and immediately collapsed to the ground flat on his back with a sigh of relief. The woman hurried past Simon to lock the door and close the windows.
“I'm sorry just a precaution to see who my visitors are. A test if you will, and you both passed…hooray!” She said. Her voice was soft and raspy, calming but secretive
Champ was still on his knee where the woman was moments ago. He looked around dumbfounded
“Are you serious? A test? Hate to find out what happens if we fail, who are you exactly? I'm Champ, and that over there is Simon. We just need a place to stay tonight.”
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The lady turned and curtsied,
“My name is Minara, welcome to my home it is an absolute pleasure to meet you both. Lovely guests I've no doubt and branded ones at that!”
She noticed Champ's worried eyes and she pushed up her bangs with her hand. There on her forehead, she bore a mark of the brand, an image of a rose. The image shifted and swayed subtly, with her movements.
“I've been marked too my dear guest, my brand lets me conjure illusions like the one you saw there,” Minara said
Champ's eyes were widened from fear before, but now they were wide with amazement. He got to his feet and returned a pilot off-balance bow.
“Pleasure Minara, thank you for your hospitality, I think? How can you do such amazing things? I didn't see you conjure anything or I don't know, wave your hands.” Champ said, gesturing almost comically about how he thought a Branded should control their magic
“Oh my my, you must be new to the club, it's not all big gusto movements and incantations like the history books portray,” Minara said
Champ's nose blushed with embarrassment, and Minara giggled as she noticed
“I'm fine thanks! Could I trouble you both for some water maybe?” Simon said
He leaned up against the wall and tended to his aching body rubbing his muscles. Minara jumped a little, surprised by his voice, and quickly hurried over and handed him a glass of water.
“My apologies friend! How rude of me, why don't we get situated in the living area I'll bring us some tea. And we can do some chit-chat there.”
Simon and Champ sunk into the soft comfortable cushions and eagerly sipped at the tea Minara had brought. It was delicious and welcomed comfort for their aching bodies. With each sip, Champ felt his pains subside very slightly. It felt like it almost warmed his bones and cooled his mind.
“As my traveling partner here said, my name is Simon, it is a pleasure to be in your gracious company, Minara.” He gave a slight nod toward Minara as he sipped more tea.
“Pleasure is all mine, I'm sorry again to have given you quite the fright and to have caused you brand sickness it seems.” She said toward Simon and gave a sympathetic frown before she continued.
“The tea has pennywort in it, it'll help your recovery. I hope you both understand, I have to do these kinds of tests to make sure I'm not dealing with some bandits or other terrible folks about, just a precaution when you see two strangers scoping out your home in the night,” she said with a wry smile.
Simon laughed having finally relaxed,
“It was everyone's precautions that led us to this circumstance so no harm no foul, Could I trouble you for another cup, thank you,” he said
During their conversation Champ had been deep in thought, he wondered constantly about how her magic worked, and what it was that caused this crazy illusion. His thoughts consumed him as Minara and Simon got more acquainted with each other,
“Okay replay the instance in your head, go step by step, you creep up and turn the corner, and boom scary fake Simon, you rush in to save the day and again the fake Simon is there but not? How? And then she banished it so easily too when she threw something. A little glass container. C'mon, what was so special about it? It was shiny, is it light-based? No, it is not that bright in here. It felt cold. Then the smells disappeared. Wait-” Champ thought
Champ sniffed the air, the smell of the cooking was significantly less potent than when they were outside near the tree line. It made no sense to him seeing as how he was now only a few feet away from the cooking in question.
“Is it smell, Minara? Your brand that is” Champ said
Minara jumped a little in her seat and Champ's sudden interjection
“How very observant of you Champ, well done! Yes, I create illusions through scents. Smell often invokes a ‘sense memory’, and with that memory, I can create something similar here in the physical world.” Minara said
“Then why were his facial features so off?” Champ replied
“Well, I only saw you from so far, I- I couldn't get a good look was all, it wasn't that bad for only seeing you for a minute or two,” Minara said
She fidgeted a bit and adjusted how she sat on the sofa slightly bothered at Champ's critique
“It was amazing Minara, youll have to show me more please!” Champ said
“Yes it was quite amazing to witness, we'd love to see more, but maybe tomorrow if that's alright. We all could use some rest I assume.” Simon said
“Of course, of course, right this way I have a spare room just up the stairs here,” Minara said
Minara turned and led them up the stairs and to a spare room for a long-needed rest.