FIGHT TO ESCAPE...
"You're up early, my niece." Siefoth met Aariah at the bar counter.
Aariah took a seat at the counter and yawned, "Yes, I must get a good start on today, for I travel before noon." Her load of stuff was already slung onto her back.
"So you're leaving then? I was hopin' you'd --" He looked up to see another weary traveler slam the door shut from the blowing cold outside the mountain. "Aye, good morrow to you, traveler! You are welcome to the warming area if ye like!" His voice boomed over the crowd. The traveler nodded and did as told. There had been a blizzard out for the last two days, so it was rather painful to see people still arriving from outside after putting up with the horrible weather. But at least the tavern was safely built inside the fissure of the mountain, cozy and warm.
After the traveler started to get settled, Siefoth continued, "I thought ye were going to stay for little while longer?" He trailed off again as he noticed a familiar blue outfit emerging from under the coat of the new traveler. He headed over to the man, as Aariah trailed close behind. "Aye! What are you doing back?" he was rather curt to the man.
"Who…?" Aariah wondered aloud.
"This man snuck into our home while you were… were… Aye, while you were down in the reservoir." Siefoth didn't take his eyes off from the man except during his pause in thought when he looked at her. He took a step closer.
"I could not get through the weather…" the traveler grumbled, somewhat hesitantly.
After a slight pause, Aariah interrupted, "Siefoth, do you smell flesh burning?" She stepped closer to her uncle and sniffed about.
He, too, took wind of the air, "What the…?"
"I suggest you don't anger me for I do have control of fire…" True to the traveler's word, there was a slight steam coming from the clothes he wore and his coat on the chair. He was warming himself with the fire he controlled and around him the room got brighter as the candles, torches, wood stove and fireplace blazed stronger.
"What do ye want, anyway!?" Siefoth was rather angry now. He didn't like people who tried to appear threatening.
There was a long pause as the man looked, narrow eyed, between Siefoth and Aariah. It was as if he was reading their minds and knew what was going on. "Her..." he said, "I want her elements." He jaunted over next to Aariah and wrapped his arm around her shoulders; getting close. "You have power, my dear," he continued and grinned evilly, "and I want it..."
Aariah tried politely to unwrap herself from him, but he was pressing so forcefully. She finally had to push on him several times before getting away. "Do you think I'm just going to give them to you...!?" She started so soft that the traveler could hardly hear her whisper over the din of the bar. "Are you that daft...!? I worked hard for them...! I will not let them go...! There are others for you to behold...!" she trailed off slightly as a whine picked up quietly behind all sound. The front door began to creak, the whine coming from the wind behind it. Before anyone else had a chance to notice, the door blew apart into wooden shards, spraying in every direction. Several pieces even impaled themselves into people. She realized, however, that she needed to get this situation out of here, "I cannot fight you here...! Nor today! There are too many people!" With that she turned to Siefoth and said, "Say it with me!"
Siefoth nodded, for he remembered her story, "I call upon my own might, to release the staff of my right!" He had clasped his hands over hers as the dagger pendant emerges from their hands. The next chant, however, he didn't know and only mumbled along, "My strength resides in my own heart, but there is a foe out there that I must fight. So outside me there will be a part, to help me battle with all my might!" Once again she stabbed the ground with the tip of the dagger staff. The wind ribbons swiftly released themselves. Again her shoulders were graced with the icy white silver wings. "Go, Aariah!" Siefoth pushed her hands and staff away. He was hoping that this ruse of him performing the magic would succeed.
"Goodbye!" Aariah had barely enough time to utter it before her wings caught the wind and she was carried out into the blizzard.
It wasn't long before two fellow barkeeps covered the doorway with a larger piece of wood. This hunk of wood had been in storage nearby to actually combine with the front door for this kind of occasion. However this time, it was all they had.
Siefoth stood and shook off the thin layer of snow upon him while others did the same. The fellow barkeeps attended to some of the wounded people with door shards in them.
"Was- was she an illegal magic user...?" a man uttered as he slowly crawled out from under his table.
"Why, yes--" the traveler tried to start.
"Nay!" Siefoth interrupted and gave a rather bold stare at the man. "For I was the one to fly her out of here, and I was the one who performed the chants!" he paused and added for the man, "Aye, I can do a lil' magic of my own."
The traveler had kept his silence, for he knew that his fight was with Aariah, and not with this man. He would wait, and plan for his next encounter, which he knew, would be soon.
