Lyra
“What do you mean Timberland is under attack?” Gorre asked, staring at Lyra with a puzzled expression.
Lyra turned toward Elora and said, “I need you to alert Teriani. Gorre and I can investigate.”
Shaking his head, Gorre said, “What gives you the right to tell me what to do?”
Feet already moving, Lyra said, “Stay or not, I don’t care.”
Gorre did indeed follow her. She didn’t care how he rationalized it. Something was out there, and she felt responsible. He pestered her about how she knew until the shouts and alarms started when they passed the inner gate. Timberland''s guards and fellow Rangers all made their way toward the main entrance, along with Lyra and Gorre.
Raptor greeted them just outside the settlement, then turned toward the growing mayhem and said, “We are the last line of defense. Do not let them get past you.”
The strong magical aura that alerted Lyra in the first place hadn’t made an appearance yet, but she could feel them somewhere further back in the forest. Rangers and guards alike were fighting off numerous black panthers. Preparing to engage herself, Haera appeared in front of her.
Haera noticed Gorre, gave him a puzzled look, and said, “Why are you here?”
“That’s what I want to know,” he said. His glance at Lyra directed his response to her as well.
“I plan on fighting the magical beast. What are you going to do?” Lyra asked Haera.
Pulling out her daggers, Haera said, “I thought you would never ask.”
More Rangers entered the fray, cutting down all the black panthers near the front gate. Maneuvering around them, the pair focused on reaching the magical beast that was controlling the other beasts from the back. Since every animal was engaged in battle, Lyra took the time to admire how they fought. Many she recognized from the battle against Nasir. They were survivors.
Lyra heard footsteps closing in from behind and recognized who it was by their aura. Keya and Paeral were weaving around the fighting, trying to reach her. A panther tried escaping by running at her but stumbled when two arrows hit it in the flank from Keya and Haera appeared next to it for the killing blow.
Nodding in thanks, Lyra said, “Follow my orders unless Haera tells you otherwise. Questions?”
Paeral opened his mouth to speak when Lyra asked, “Is it related to this fight?” He grinned and shook his head. “Too bad. I need you to protect my rear when I engage. Keya can aim for its vitals when possible.”
They gave her a knowing grin, and Keya said, “You can count on us.”
She turned away from the pair and moved toward the enlarged black panther stalking toward them. Lyra would miss going on missions with the siblings. A part of her missed the days she spent protecting her village. Being forced to choose between leaving it all behind or ignoring the truth and allowing her family to be at risk soured the memory.
Shaking her head to silence the doubt and let go of a past she couldn’t change, Lyra leaned into the warmth radiating from Ruvan dwelling within the gem that hung around her neck. She placed a hand over the gem and said, “Thank you.”
Ruvan happy.
Holding out her hand, Lyra summoned a ball of water, shaped it into her favorite weapon, and solidified it. Staring at the long-curved ice blade at the end of the long shaft, she smiled in anticipation.
“I will hold its attention,” she said, looking at Haera. “And you can do what you do best.”
Haera laughed and vanished, leaving Lyra with the siblings behind her. Letting out a war cry, Lyra propelled herself forward. Arrows imbued with flames flashed past her head, hitting the giant beast in the chest, causing it to rear up. Feeling a build-up of magical energy where she stood, Lyra leaped back. An immense pressure flattened the earth, promising pain to anyone unlucky enough to be standing there.
The panther spun around, whipping its tail at Haera, who dodged its attack and sprung back in to stab at its legs. Lyra closed the distance and swung her weapon up under its jaw. She frowned when the weapon shattered against its skin and dodged another magical attack from the panther.
“Don’t stay in one place too long,” Lyra said as she reached for her dagger and transformed it to mirror the weapon she had used previously. More arrows sunk into its flank, agitating the beast. A scream coming from Paeral’s direction drew her attention, and she winced at the sight of him on the ground. The panther''s magic forced his leg into an odd angle, crushing it to the ground. Cursing under her breath, Lyra said, “Get him out of here.”
Feeling her desire for help, Ruvan burst from her necklace and let loose a constant stream of fireballs while dodging its attacks. Haera continued to shift around the beast with her magic, focusing her attacks on its legs.
Burn bad beast for momma.
After imbuing the blade of her weapon with flames courtesy of Ruvan, Lyra dodged multiple attempts at crushing her and leaped over a paw that was swiping at her face and stabbed the panther in the eye. It roared. She ripped it out before being flung into the air. Skidding to a stop on her feet, Lyra moved toward its blind spot and attacked. So focused on what she was doing, Lyra forgot about its tail and got sent flying backward from the force.
“You good?” Haera asked, appearing next to her.
Pushing herself up with a grunt, Lyra replied, “Good enough.”
Sensing another magical attack, Lyra said, “Go,” as she jumped out of the way and charged the beast when she was back on her feet. Ruvan had done a great job lighting its fur on fire in multiple spots, but it looked more irritated than anything else. She thought of a way they could do serious damage, and her elemental friend reacted immediately.
Yes, momma. Trust Ruvan.
Ruvan ran toward Lyra and jumped into her outstretched arm. Creating a ball of wind around them, she ran closer to the beast, dodged out of the way into its blind spot, and hurled Ruven into the air. Trusting they would do their part, Lyra dodged another tail strike and sliced into the panther''s belly, and retreated.
The beast roared in pain when Ruvan landed on its head and let loose a stream of flames into its eyes, blinding it. Lyra found Haera and asked, “Can you teleport on its back?”
Haera laughed and said, “I can. Question is, why should I?”
Shaking her head in amusement, Lyra said, “Because I asked?”
Appearing on top of the panther, Haera sank her daggers into its neck and said, “Since you asked.”
The beast roared in pain, and Haera teleported next to Lyra to avoid being tossed. They both dodged the panthers'' wild magical attacks, hitting the surrounding area at random. Unable to get close enough to strike at it again, Haera said, “Now what?”
Lyra retreated far enough to avoid being flattened and concentrated on gathering any ambient mana she could. When she had gathered enough for the spell, Lyra ran toward the panther and created a giant ball of water in her hand. Stopping short of being crushed, she hurled the water at the beast and grinned when the water made contact and froze the panther in place.
Free to move in unhindered, Lyra ran up and swung her weapon across its neck with ease, thanks to the flames coating the edge. Breaking free of her ice by sheer will and strength, the panther struggled to land a blow against her as it continued to bleed from the gash in its neck.
With a final cry of pain, the magical beast collapsed and died.
The stillness that settled within the forest soothed the tension in Lyra’s shoulders. With a thought, she changed the shape of her weapon back into a dagger and returned it to her hip and kneeled. Ruvan jumped into her open arms, and she hugged them.
Haera’s hand on her shoulder drew her attention up to the Ranger, who said, “I need to check on the others. Are you coming?”
With a reluctance she didn’t want to admit, Lyra coaxed Ruvan back in the gem and rose. “I should. Paeral got hurt during the fight, and I want to see how he’s doing.”
Wincing at the pain in her side where the tail had hit her, Lyra followed Haera back toward the Ranger compound, noting all the dead panthers scattered on the ground. She watched Haera teleport to each group of Rangers and wondered what she would do if she had that ability. Lyra glanced at the gate into Timberland and saw Raptor waving her over. She would rather go directly to see Paeral.
Deciding on a compromise, she let Ruvan out with instructions to find the Ranger.
Ruvan find friend for momma.
When she reached the captain, Raptor said, “I take it the threat is over?”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Straight to business, she could appreciate his desire to resolve this quickly. “Yes. Haera and I killed the magical beast. I don’t sense any others nearby.”
“Good…That is good,” Raptor said, an expression of relief settling on his face. “I need to go report this and head home.” Turning around, he looked at the guards nearby and said, “The threat is over. Those on duty, back to your posts. Everyone else, get some sleep.”
She admired how efficient and to the point he could be. Raptor probably wanted to get home and be with his wife, too. His love for her filled her with joy and sadness. Feeling the bond she shared with Ruvan, Lyra closed her eyes and let herself see through her companion. They were curled up in Keya’s arms, looking at Paeral lying in bed. His leg was no longer in a mangled mess.
Feeling relieved that he was doing better, Lyra let go of the visual connection and opened her eyes. Haera stood there, staring at her with an amused look, and said, “I saw you talking with Raptor. Did you tell him?”
“How amazing I am and that his wife might leave him for me if he isn’t careful?” Lyra said, trying to hide the grin.
Shaking her head, Haera replied, “I doubt Elora is interested in the adventurous life you have. Since you talked to him, I don’t have to.” Haera winked and vanished, leaving Lyra alone. Turning away from Timberland, Lyra headed for the compound to find Ruvan and check on her friends.
A few Rangers were being treated by the healers when she arrived, but the atmosphere was relaxed. Ruven jumped out of Keya’s arms and into hers, causing her to wince in pain.
Ruvan found friends. Momma happy?
Hugging him close, Lyra said, “Yes, I’m happy.” She looked at the siblings, noticed Paeral was sleeping, and asked, “How is he?”
Keya smiled. Reaching out, she scratched behind Ruvan’s ear and said, “He will live. The spell crushed his leg, but the healer took care of him.”
A healer passed by and asked, “Did you get hurt?”
Lyra pointed to her side and nodded. The healer placed a hand over the area and sent healing energy into Lyra. She gritted her teeth when her ribs reset themselves and forced a smile when they said, “All done. Take it easy.” Lyra watched Keya stare at her side where the healer had touched her and raised her eyebrow.
Keya fidgeted under Lyra’s attention and asked, “Do you have to leave us? You are the first Ranger to join us who we could be ourselves around and trust to have our backs. I don’t want to lose you.”
Ruvan crawled up Lyra’s chest and sat on her shoulder, their tail wrapping around her neck, and nuzzled their face against her cheek. Enjoying the warmth and comfort they brought, Lyra waited for Keya to meet her eyes and said, “These attacks won''t stop until we go after the source. This is why I must go.”
“Then take us with you,” Keya said pleadingly.
Shaking her head, Lyra replied, “Neither of you could face off against Haera and win, let alone Nasir or the one who gave him his new powers. I won’t put you in that kind of danger when you can do so much more helping Timberland like you have.”
Bowing her head, Keya sat down next to Paeral and said, “I know you are strong, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt like the rest of us. You nearly died during your trial mission.”
Forcing a smile, Lyra said, “I won''t be alone. I have others who will fight by my side. Someone needs to stop Nasir, and I won’t pass up the chance. He needs to pay for what he’s done.” Her anger towards herself caused her fists to clench. The wet lick to her cheek cooled her frustration. Rubbing her face against Ruvan, Lyra relaxed and said, “Thank you.”
“Just promise me you will come back,” Keya said.
Shaking her head, Lyra backed away. “I can’t. Like you said, I can die just like you or Paeral. The difference is I stand a better chance,” Lyra said, her face scrunched up in frustration. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”
Lyra turned around and walked away. Her keen hearing picked up Keya’s parting words, “Good luck.”
Tinesi
Tinesi felt the magical beast close in on Timberland during the night. She knew the Rangers could handle it. That got her questioning the dark mage''s motives. Did he think the Ranger casualties would be enough after the fight with Nasir? Unable to think of a reason, Tinesi let it go. She felt Lyra near the fighting and knew her friend would take care of the magical beast. A fitting gesture before she left the Rangers.
She received a mental message from Elora in the morning to meet her and Lyra at Rolim’s. The thought of a warm meal caused her belly to rumble. When she reached the gate to Timberland, the guard recognized Tinesi and waved her in without question.
“Welcome back. You should have seen your friend last night. I heard she took down the magical beast along with Haera,” said the guard cheerfully.
Not having to reintroduce herself reminded her how long it had been since she used her mental abilities to trick others into forgetting her. Tinesi was still chasing Lyra the last time she utilized it. She smiled politely and said, “Thank you.”
Passing by all the cart stalls offering goods early in the morning, she made her way to Rolim’s and entered. Familiar with Elora and Lyra’s magical auras, Tinesi had little trouble finding the pair. She sat down, ordered a drink, and said, “Nice job last night. Heard you paired up with Haera and took out the magical beast.”
Shrugging as she took a sip of her own drink, Lyra said, “It had a weird ability that flattened the earth. I could tell where the spell would go off and avoided it, but the two Rangers supporting me from behind had to escape when one of them had their leg crushed.”
Looking around at everyone inside Rolim’s, Tinesi noticed the way they were looking at Lyra. Furtive glances showed respect and weariness, and some were even fearful. When curiosity got the better of her, she turned to Lyra and asked, “What did you do to make people afraid of you?”
Elora grinned and said, “It happened after the battle with Nasir. A Ranger who lost his brother picked a fight with her, and she showed him no mercy. She knocked him out by slamming her head into his already broken nose. If that wasn’t enough, she promised to do the same with anyone else who had a problem with her in the room.”
Waving at Elora dismissively, Lyra said, “It wasn’t that dramatic. I just taught him an important lesson…one punch at a time.”
Tinesi nodded in approval and finished the rest of her mug. The servers arrived with their food, and they ate in silence. When they all sat back in contentment, Tinesi said, “It was nice seeing you again, Elora. We need to get going, Lyra.” She pushed her chair out and stood up.
Lyra drank the rest of hers and joined Tinesi. Grinning with mischief, Lyra said, “When I finish my goal, I plan on coming back here and stealing you away. Don’t let your husband know.”
Elora laughed, and Lyra joined in. Tinesi knew that would be impossible. From the look Lyra gave her when she turned back to her, she knew too. Lyra winked at Tinesi and made her way toward the exit. With a wave goodbye to Elora, Tinesi joined her, and together, they left Timberland.
Sitting by a campfire next to Lyra, Kindroth, and Kailu, Tinesi coughed in her hand to grab everyone’s attention and said, “Now that Lyra has joined us, let me explain the plan.” Kindroth nodded, and she continued, “We lost the dark mages'' trail after they injured Kindroth, but we have an idea of where to search.”
“You mean I found hints of his magic,” said Kailu, a bit stiffly.
She continued as if he had never spoken and said, “Kindroth and Kailu will team up since Lyra and I work so well together. We will search the area where the trail Kailu found came to a dead end and meet back here tonight. The last fight taught us we don’t stand a chance during the night.”
Kindroth stood up and waved at Kailu and said, “We wasted enough time already. Let’s be off.”
They traveled in relative silence. Tinesi enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere the forest provided. She could tell Lyra had a lot on her mind but didn’t want to press the issue. Tinesi almost changed her mind when she felt a magical beast. More than one.
Lyra spoke up first and said, “He’s nearby.”
Tinesi had an idea who she meant and thought about inquiring, but said, “We have more pressing concerns. Get ready to fight.”
Drawing her dagger and changing it into a longsword, Lyra said, “Nasir! I know you’re out there, and I’m coming for you!” Her friend ran straight at the boar charging at them. It shot flames out of its tusks. Attacks that Lyra deftly deflected with wind.
She jumped into the air, spun around mid-air, and sliced the boar''s head off as it passed under her. Tinesi noticed Lyra had imbued the blade with wind to sharpen its cutting ability. The need to catch up compelled Tinesi to run. The rage Lyra exuded surprised Tinesi.
Changing directions constantly, dodging and ignoring the boars that were converging on their location, Lyra growled and said, “You can teleport all you want, Nasir, but you can’t hide from me! Face me, you coward!”
Her surprise was growing into frustration at Lyra’s behavior. Arming herself, Tinesi engaged the boars. They were weak compared to most she encountered, firing off flames from their tusks, but nothing more. She cut them down one after another. Reaching her limit, Tinesi said, “By the light, Lyra, if you don’t stop this nonsense right now, I will make you.”
Whirling on Tinesi, Lyra pointed her sword at her and said with desperation, “You don’t get it. Ruvan can’t keep holding me together. I have to end this. Nasir is my burden to bear.”
Time felt like it slowed down. The magical displacement. Lyra shoving Tinesi to the side. Her shock as the blade aimed at Tinesi’s neck sliced across her cheek. Someone grunted in agitation, and she was on the ground.
Lyra, still holding her sword up, now aimed it at Nasir. He stood there dispassionately. Ignoring the blade pointed at him. A contrast to the rage Lyra exuded. Rolling to the side, Tinesi avoided the spike of earth that shot up, breaking the stalemate. Lyra rushed him and swung.
Tinesi twisted around when he vanished, avoiding Lyra’s strike. She jumped back, barely avoiding the black lightning strike. The hair on her arms stood up from the surrounding energy. Nasir stood there, eyeing her with a blank expression. His clothes were a mess of dirt and dried blood. Staring at his face, Tinesi saw the bags under his eyes and the look of a broken elf. What horror did he experience since he last fought Lyra?
She blocked his next strike, noticing the black shadow''s hand holding his weapon. Nasir’s control over the shadows had improved considerably. On a whim, she asked, “Were the boars your work?” He nodded and sent another earthen spike aimed at her, forcing Tinesi back next to Lyra.
Ruvan howled from his position on Lyra’s shoulder, tail wrapped around her neck. She gave him a scratch behind an ear, and the elemental leaped into the air and fired off fireballs at Nasir, forcing him to teleport. Lyra already calculated where he would appear and hurled a ball of ice and said, “Did you offer Ryo and Airdan up to your master?”
Dodging the attack, Nasir answered with another bolt of black lightning aimed at Tinesi. Her arm was numb where it grazed her, but she dodged it. A twitch of an eyebrow as he narrowed his eyes at Lyra was all the response he gave. Even that disappeared.
Running at him again, Lyra said, “Stop ignoring me and answer! Did you sacrifice my family to save your worthless life?” He went to parry her blow but fumbled forward when Lyra changed the shape of her weapon mid-strike and jammed the dagger into his chest. Nasir moved quickly enough that her blade missed anything vital and teleported.
Ruvan started blasting a spot with flames lighting up Nasir when he appeared. Instead of crying out in pain as Tinesi expected him to do, he growled and vanished instead. In a feat of pure agility and mastery over her wind boost, Lyra reached Nasir when he appeared again and said, “Did you think killing those I cherished would make me fall in love with you?” She punctuated her question by slamming her feet on the ground covering the surrounding area in ice, securing his feet. Lyra grabbed him by the shirt and bashed his nose with the butt end of her dagger.
“Even.” Smash. “The thought.” Smash. “Of sleeping.” Smash. “With you.” Smash.
For the first time, Nasir aimed a bolt of black lightning at Lyra, forcing her to dodge. Holding a hand to his mangled nose, Tinesi saw fear in his eyes.
Backing away, shaking his head, Nasir said, “No, master. I can do this. Please.” Tinesi struggled to hear him after Lyra broke his nose. Whatever the dark mage said to Nasir next didn’t go in his favor. “Yes, master. Understood,” Nasir said, deflated.
Nasir backed away, countless spikes of earth rising from the ground, blocking every attempt Lyra made to close the distance. Lyra roared with rage and said, “I’m not done with you. Fight me, you traitor.”
He teleported away, and a roar from within the forest sent a chill down Tinesi’s body. The magical aura wafting off the magical beast worried her. Lyra ignored the beast, still looking for a way to catch up to Nasir. Unsure she could handle such a foe on her own, Tinesi said, “Lyra, stop. If we don’t face this together, neither of us will get what we want.”
Stomping her foot down, Lyra said, “Nasir!”