The Dark War;The Magic Trilogy

Chapter 5

"Keep your guard up Clara!" Adelia said as another rock hit me in the thigh. I winced in pain as I felt another bruise starting to form right above my knee.

I saw another rock hurdling toward me and ducked just as another hit my right hand on a knuckle bone. I groaned in exasperation.

"Lady Adelia I don't think this is working. It's useless." I said plopping on the ground.

"My darling it is not, you're getting better." She said and gave me a little smile.

"Tell that to my blue and purple legs."

She offered me her hand and pulled me to my feet. "Let's try something else. See that tree? That pine cone at the very top? Retrieve that."

I stared up at the colossal tree in front of me and sure enough at the very top was a small brown dot that must have been the pine cone.

"How do I get it?" I asked.

"Use your magic." Is all she said before she headed back towards camp. "I will check on you in a little while, I'm going to get us some food."

I looked at Angel. "How am I supposed to get all the way up there?"

He snorted and nudged my hands with his head.

"Well thanks for that." I said sarcastically.

I grabbed the lowest branch and hoisted myself up onto it, being in trousers and a tunic really helped me move around better. The branch above my head was just out of my reach, as I prepared to jump to it my foot slipped on the bark and I fell to the ground.

Use your magic. Lady Adelia's voice said in my head.

I rolled my eyes and stood up again. I closed my eyes and put my hand up imagining a rope. When I opened my eyes a purple rope was in front of me hanging off a high branch. Keeping my concentration I grabbed onto it and started to climb. My magic felt weird under my hands, it didn't feel like rope necessarily, more like touchable light. When I reached the top of my rope I looked down and paled. I had climbed about halfway up the tree. The branches began getting too thin to climb up and support my weight. Reaching out with a shaky hand I created a purple square and stepped on it. I was sweating and breathing rapidly I began to make more squares leading up to the top of the tree. I finally got to the top and snatched the pine cone off of the branch. I began to relax a little bit as I realized getting down would be easier.

"Good job." Someone yelled.

I gasped and fell as I lost my concentration.

As I neared the ground I imagine a tent and there appeared a purple canvas tent. I fell onto it and bounced to the ground.

I looked up to see who spoke. A man in front of me looking about my age stood in front of me. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with freckles along his nose. He would have been handsome if it wasn't for the smirk on his face.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm John, and you must be Lady Clara." He had a sarcastic tone when he said my name.

"Yes I am, what are you doing out here?" Angel came trotting up to me and stood at my side.

"Well this is the Keepers camp grounds." He said sounding territorial.

"Well you could have killed me, so thanks for that." I said turning around to walk away.

"Anytime." He muttered under his breath.

I spun around on my heel. "Excuse me! You wanted me to die?"

"Well I wouldn't have complained. You Magics think that you're entitled to everything that you want and that you're royalty but you're not. You would be nothing without the Keepers." He practically spat in my face.