The woman felt uneasy. Above her, the sky had darkened ominously, and a rumble of thunder rippled nearby. Too near. She glanced up at the bruised heavens, all of the hairs on her arms standing up, and she knew.
This was no ordinary storm.
She felt the currents of power roiling out around her now, undulating like unseen serpents. As she rocked in place, overwhelmed by the taint of evil seeping in all over, she found that there were two options available to her - stand her ground or run for her life.
Her magic drifted out cautiously, testing the waters for a fight. Then it came; the faint sound of laughter from the trees. Deep, soft and mirthless, it chilled her to the bone. No longer a choice, but a compulsion, she turned and fled into the depths of the forest.
The only thing that followed her was a whisper carried on the wind that wrapped its way around her.
"You can't run forever."