“How are you yet to understand that I am not coming back with you?” Torana practically vibrated with anger. “Was this farcical chase not evidence enough?”
“I can only be pushed so far, daughter,” The Duke’s voice was soft, yet concealed a core of iron. “You have had your fun. Now it is time to return home and do your duty.” He spoke with supreme confidence. It seemed that, to him, there was no doubt that his commands would be obeyed.
“Father, this is the final time I will say this to you. I am not returning with you to be married off to some minor noble as if I were goods for you to barter. My life is my own, and I will not have it be dictated to me by some archaic tradition of subservience.” Torana fought to control her voice. This conversation had happened once before, in her father’s study on the night she left. It had been raining then too.
“Insolent girl!” Pedrik barked. “ You dare speak to your father in such a way?”
The Duke held out an arm, “Enough, Pedrik. She will learn what happens when I am displeased.”
A knife seemed to materialise within Torana’s hand, “I think you’ll find we’re very alike in that regard, father.” She turned her head slightly, “I’d step back if I were you, Os.” He seemed to hesitate but gave a curt nod, retreating to what he judged to be a safe distance.
The Duke’s men drew their swords at the sight of the knife, keen to protect their Lord and confident in their superior numbers. The Duke sighed “If this is how you would have it. Very well.” With a casual flick of his wrist, he gestured towards the girl, “Bring her to me.”
The guardsmen charged. Torana breathed in deeply, gauging how much power she could reasonably draw without doing further damage to herself. Gripping the handle of her knife, she attuned Lightning for speed and dashed forward.
She flashed between the guardsmen, slashing and stabbing before they could react. Almost as a group, they fell, leaving Torana breathing heavily amidst the groaning and the blood.
The Duke grunted, “Perhaps I should have kept you on a shorter leash.” He stepped forwards, waving away his attendants. Torana dashed towards him, relying on adrenaline and rage alone to fuel her. Leaping, she brandished the knife towards her father, a cry of anguish ripping from her throat.
A wave of concussive force hit her before she could land, sending her sprawling across the rain-slicked cobbles and knocking the knife from her hand. She sat up, glaring her surprise at her father.
“That’s right, child,” he smirked. “had you not considered the possibility that I too had access to this power?” She looked again, calming herself to pay attention. Then she saw it, the rain bending around him.
Not a drop dampening his clothing. A simple spell, but proof that he could also attune the Rhoki. How had he hidden that all these years? The mage pushed herself to her feet, her hand moving to her hip in a protective motion.
The Duke’s smile deepened as he noticed, “If that was enough to injure you, daughter, I am truly surprised the men I hired had such trouble bringing you to me.” He held out a hand, “Now, come.”
Torana bared her teeth in response. “Surprise is something you should get used to.” Her hand flashed out as she attuned Air, whipping the vial of ignium across the space between them, lending it speed with a burst of pressure.
No sooner had it left her hand than she changed Rhoki and launched a small ball of flame after the flammable liquid. The slipstream of concentrated air ignited, flashing towards the vessel. It exploded on contact, mere inches from her father.
Torana dived to the side as, for an instant, the dockside was engulfed in heat and light. Screams erupted as bystanders either fled or redoubled their efforts to ready their boats for departure.
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Osran shielded his eyes against the explosion. The intense heat washed over him, but as quickly as the fire had come, it was gone. He squinted across the dock to where the Duke stood stony-faced. He was completely unharmed, but his hair now lay plastered to his skull, his finery dampened by the rain. Osran smiled grimly, Torana had done enough to make him switch his attention to protect himself and extinguish the flames.
He scanned the dockside, looking for a sign of his friend. Instead, he found Pedrik advancing on him with his sword drawn. “I have had just about enough of the both of you.” The guardsman scowled as he quickly covered the distance between them.
Osran felt panic rise in his chest. Unarmed and facing a trained opponent, he felt he had little chance. Over Pedrik’s shoulder, he saw Torana lunge at her father from behind a towering stack of barrels, only to be rebuffed once more by his magic. He was on his own.
“Do you think what the Duke is doing is right, Pedrik?” Osran backed away slowly. “Chasing his daughter across the country just to drag her back and marry her off to leverage some trade agreement?”
“What our Lord does is no business of mine,” his pace increased as his scowl deepened. “nor is it any business of yours.” Osran managed to dodge away as the first swing came, the blade missing him by mere inches.
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“He is no longer my Lord,” Osran spat the title in open disgust. Manoeuvring himself to keep Torana in sight over Perdrik’s shoulder, narrowly avoiding another swipe of the sword.
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Torana grunted against the pain. Her whole body felt like one big bruise. In her fatigue, she was unable to draw on the power she required to beat her father but was succeeding in making him agitated. His spells had grown more offensive, launching blasts of fire and lightning in amongst the waves of force used to push her away. She glanced again to where Osran flailed around, barely dodging the slashes and thrusts of Pedrik’s blade.
“Stand still!” the Duke roared as he fired off another volley of fire. Torana leapt away, leaving it to fizzle out against the damp cobbles.
“You never could stand to be disobeyed,” Torana forced amusement into her voice despite feeling none of it. “Always accusing people of behaving like children while imitating one yourself.”
“Be quiet!” another yell cut through the sound of the rain. “You have pushed me too far this time, Torana. Can you not see that by marring you to someone worthy, I can ensure you live out your days in comfort and safety?”
“For the final time, father,” Torana stood firm. “I shall determine how I live my life.” She attuned Light, sending out a blinding flash which caused the Duke to stagger backwards, covering his eyes in shock.
He blinked away the haze to find Torana standing beside a fallen Osran. “You ungrateful wretch!” he cried, letting loose ribbons of lightning which arced through the rain and into the young woman’s body.
Pedrik’s armour clattered on the cobbles as he hit the floor. Torana emerged from her hiding place behind stacks of cargo. Releasing her hold on the Rhoki of Light, she restored Pedrik to his original appearance. A bitter smile quickly vanished when she saw the blood marring Osran’s face.
“Torana,” The Duke called with a threatening hiss, raising his hand towards Osran. “Your tricks will only get you so far. Return with me, or I will kill your companion.”
Torana gritted her teeth and clenched her fist around the hilt of her dagger. She fought to keep her head above the wave of hopelessness that now washed over her. She had been so sure she could win this, but she had already drawn on the Rhoki enough to harm herself permanently, and no time to get between them.
She let the blade clatter to the stone. Her breathing was laboured, and the colour had gone from her face. She felt like every movement was an immense effort. “Just let me say goodbye.”
The Duke nodded. “Do not tarry.” He stated flatly.
Torana walked to Osran and, struggling between them, helped him to stand. The slick stone made for treacherous footing. “I’m sorry, Tor’.” He whispered as they came face to face.
“Never apologise to me Osran,” Torana blinked away the tears forming in her eyes. “I’d not have gotten this far if it wasn’t for you.” She reached for the Rhoki of Life, intent on healing Osran’s wounds before she left.
Tears welled in her eyes as no energy came. This was it. She had drawn too much and was now unable to do even this for him. She made to embrace him, but Osran held her away with one hand and held out the other between them. Confused and now more upset that he would spurn her affection at this moment, she gently took it.
In that grasp, she found hope.
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The Duke observed the display with little interest. He watched calmly as Torana turned from the boy and sullenly walked towards him, her hair and robes dripping in the rain. He put his arm around her as she approached in a rare display of paternal warmth. “Come, daughter. We will return and make you presentable for your suitors once more.”
At the feeling of pressure at his side, he looked down. Torana had pressed the point of a knife to his waist. She raised her head, her lined, fatigued face looking closer in age to his own than it should.
“No.”
The Duke regained his composure and sighed deeply, “Torana, if I have to render you insensate, then I will.” He attuned the Rhoki of Air. Discovering nothing in the place where the raging, blustery well of power should be. His eyes went wide, and Torana grinned wickedly.
She held up her other hand, holding the pink, spiked crystal of nulshard between thumb and forefinger. “You’re only gift to me,” She said softly.
The Duke’s arm snapped out to try and take the ‘shard, but the knife had already sunk into his side. Torana pushed him onto his back as he let out a short cry of pain and surprise. “Daughter, Torana,” he babbled. “Please, killing me will achieve nothing.”
Torana stood over him and looked towards Pedrik, who was even now struggling to his feet. “I’m hearing that a lot today. You’ll be fine,” she stated. “I just need to make sure you can’t stop me from leaving.” She knelt and forced the Duke’s hands away from his side with one hand. While, with the other, she pushed the nulshard into the wound she had created, drawing forth a scream of pain from her father.
“I’ll be going now, father,” She stared into his red, pain-filled eyes. “Do not follow me again.” She stood, beckoning to Osran with a blood-soaked hand.
The Duke lay clutching his side as the rain ran down his face. He watched his daughter approach the boy and wrap him in a shaky embrace. Together, they boarded the ship, never once looking back at him.
The sound of Pedrik’s shuffling feet caught his attention, and soon the guard was helping him to stand.
“My Lord, what are your orders?” Pedrik’s voice, usually so strong and confident, was laced with the strain of his injuries.
“Let her go, Pedrik,” The Duke replied, groaning against his own pain as he did so. “She’s become more trouble than she’s worth.”
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“So, where to next, ‘Tor?” Osran leant on the railing, looking down on the Berkobell as it flowed gently beneath the boat. The rain had stopped, and the pair were now trying to dry themselves in the light of the afternoon sun.
“Somewhere I can get a decent change of clothes.” smiled Torana. “Verine, Volgorne, I’d even take Ketrek. Somewhere we can just get lost in the crowds.” The mage had her eyes fixed on the horizon. The countryside stretched out before her promising a plethora of new lives ripe for her to experience.
She looked down at her hands, wrinkled and paper-thin. It would take a few days to see the real damage she had done to herself. A few days for the fatigue and pain to pass.
“What about your father?” Osran saw her smile falter at the question.
“If he comes, he comes,” Torana shrugged. “I think I’ve given him several reasons not to, at least.” Her silvered hair caught the breeze as she turned to Osran, “Thank you, by the way. I told you the shard would come in handy.”
Osran could see she was becoming melancholy, “Yes, well. Perhaps if you’d made use of it before rushing in knives drawn, it would have made things a little easier.”
Torana’s face hardened, “I saved your life, you ungrateful little-“
Osran quickly dodged Torana’s playful slap. He laughed as he ran astern, dodging past the crew as he was chased by the noise of Torana’s protests. Though he couldn’t predict what lay ahead for either of them, as they floated towards the next stage of their lives, he knew that they were both closer than ever to the thing they both so badly desired.
To be free.
The End