Waiting for Spring - Part I

No Time for Reflection

"You don't have to do this," Mira hissed at the three men that came closer. She could see that there was a lot of fear behind their fiery eyes. They did not respond, but one of the guards was witless enough to look at his comrade for advice on how to approach the situation. Mira took advantage of it and quickly raised her hand to conjure more flames from her palm. The soldiers backed away, bewildered by what just happened and one was accidentally hit by one of the bolts that had been shot from upstairs. Mira continued her killing spree by cutting one of the unprepared soldiers down. The three feet sharp metal was made for both thrusting and cutting, but the length of the weapon made it hard to get the angle for cutting right.

Another Highlander quickly lunged at her with his longsword and she easily dodged left before sweeping him of his legs with the handle of her weapon. She kicked his head in to make sure he would not get up anymore. Red stained her boot as she pressed her heel against the broken skull.

It was all quiet afterwards. While the two men up on the mezzanine reloaded their cumbersome weapons the remaining soldiers, five in total, halted some feet in front of Mira, creating an arc around her. It was a tense silence for a moment before one of the men, an officer judging by the fancy outfit, took a step forward. You should wear better armour.

"Drop your weapon mage!" he ordered with a heated voice.

The man had a shaking hand and somewhere behind the words Mira could sense the insecurity. "Drop it!" he yelled out and it echoed throughout the hall.

Mira could feel her own hand shaking. Her own body wanted to collapse. The exhaustion started to drain her of whatever sense she had left. Her head spun and ached. It felt as if her eyes twitched, all she could see when she lost concentration was fire.

"I will drop it," she said and sighed.

Just as she pointed the spear out the officer looked at his subordinates as if to signal them to restrain her. With a loud crack the pointy edge of the spear hit the ground and Mira closed her eyes, concentrated her every thought and waited for the right moment.

Then suddenly, she opened her eyes and with such rapid speed that her eyes could not even begin to follow it, cracks emerged in the floor and stretched out towards the walls forcing all the soldiers except for the officer to fall to the ground. The hall trembled when the cracks hit the wall and both crossbowmen fell where they stood, one dropping his heavy weapon over the edge.

The officer, probably by pure reflex, swung his blade towards Mira. She forcefully grabbed it with her hand as it came close and without thinking she thrust her right hand straight into the man's chest. Not even she knew why, it was just another reflex, but now the two just stood there, she with surprised eyes, he with agony in his.

With the man's pounding heart in her hand, Mira could feel something emerging from it, from inside the chest. It felt like a stream of power that slowly rippled from the constant pounding and into her veins. It was an indescribable feeling to experience so much power just stream through you. Mayhap this should be frightening? Mira did not know. All she knew was that there were ancient texts describing old mages channelling their magic through others, like beacons. Was this it then?

The other soldiers started to get up on their feet again and without hesitating they rushed to their commander's rescue. Mira closed her eyes, felt the power streaming through her and concentrated.

Having her eyes closed she could only feel how the heat slowly rose. She could hear it too, the burning flames and shortly thereafter the agonising screams of men being burned alive. It did not take long before the power died out and the man she was holding fell to the marble as well. Letting him go by releasing his heart she opened her eyes, panting heavily with a pounding chest. She took stock of the carnage around her. The hall was in flames. Tapestries and banners burned on the walls and the torches had just disappeared. Scattered on the floor the smoking remains of the soldiers lay still, their various weapons glowing as if fresh from the furnace.

What have I've done? Mira did not even want to think of it. The destruction she had caused, it was nothing but horrible. She looked down on her pale and shaking hands. Mayhap this was something worth forgetting.

No matter what, I have to keep on going. She looked up and stared at the door to the right. It was wide open and it led to a corridor that would take her to the great meeting hall where Jerrod had retreated. He has brought this down, not me. It is no idea reflecting over the past right now. There is no room for regret.

She grabbed the spear. She started walking, shaking the last ashes of her shoulders. While brushing some dirt of her face she entered through the door. Whatever conflicting feelings she had inside her, they had to wait. This was no time for reflection.