The Sword and the Flame: The Forging

Chapter 14

Janessa's face changed when she smiled, having won a battle she hadn't realized she'd been fighting. The two made their way to the wall where they felt safest performing the levitation spell.

Somewhere deep inside Viola, a voice muttered, "So close." She didn't recognize the voice, and that caused her to tremble all the more.

*****

No matter how many times she experienced the feeling of floating through the air, Janessa never grew tired of the experience. The feeling and sight of her feet leaving solid ground was one of the most amazing things one could witness in their lifetime. She assumed she'd get to experience it multiple times that evening, if she was lucky. As their feet touched down on the grass outside Hope's wall, Janessa glanced at her friend. Janessa's excitement during a spell like that was always countered by a guilty feeling at the toll it took on Viola.

The instant rush of fatigue swept through Viola at the moment the euphoric feel of the magic left her. As she explained on several occasions to Janessa, the sudden feeling of loss drove her to cast more spells; the more power she wielded, the more the euphoria grew. At least, that was her perception of how it would work. While most mages wished only to become powerful and have their names passed through the centuries, Viola wanted to feel the warming glow of her magic; the prestige would be a natural offspring of her work with the legacy of her name. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand straight to let Janessa know it wasn't too much of a strain.

Janessa watched Viola for an anxious moment before nodding her understanding. Then, with that settled for the moment, she turned her attention to the trees and bushes standing thirty feet away. "We'd best get moving." Janessa hated being exposed after the events of the previous night. Through the force of her will, Janessa kept her voice steady. Of all the experiences of the world, she felt it'd be safer facing an army of Ogres rather than being surprised by another group of bandits. Irrational as the thought was, it made perfect and complete sense to her.

Sensing Janessa's urgency to leave the wide open killing field by the city's wall, Viola agreed, though at least, there they had a chance of the city's guard hearing them. She shook her head at the thought. After dark, Sherriff Tavers and his men didn't care what happened outside their walls so long as the city itself wasn't under attack. As flawed as Janessa's reasons seemed to the young mage, they were safer in the forest. Assuming they hadn't been seen yet and walked into another ambush. With little choice, the two made their way into the protective cover of the forest.

*****

Unseen against the night sky, a winged figure circled until it landed at the last bend in the road leading to Hope. Fech's red eyes glowed as he inspected the corpses of the Nursk Brothers. Such a shame, Fech mused, that I hadn't been able to witness their deaths first hand. While the three of them were under the employ and care of Renard, they had no love for one another. Mortal enemies, the Ogres and gargoyle races often clashed, even devouring each other after a conflict. Gargoyles did so because many believed them to be nothing more than brainless beasts. Ogres did it because they were brainless beasts. At least, so far as Fech believed. Truth of the matter being, Gargoyles did so for sustenance, but also as the ultimate insult. What could possibly be worse for one's enemy than to know their fate was as excrement?

Fech eyed the two corpses. Since he hadn't taken part in the battle, he wouldn't lower himself to feed off of something he didn't kill. Besides, Ogre flesh had a strange, slimy taste to it. He was impressed with the skill the two humans showed to best the Nursk Brothers. Fech liked to believe he would've held his own against both brothers, and even though he most likely would've lost, it would've been a fight the survivors would remember the rest of their lives.