A New Ally, Introducing the Swordswoman Sandi

When the rain stopped, Mina and Noel left the cabin to return to the forest. It was now up to them to find the right path in order to get home again. But they didn't go more than two feet when they heard a small scream. Running towards the area where the sound emitted, they found a band of brigands had all surrounded a young girl. She had short curly blond hair and green eyes. A red tunic was worn around her body, but they couldn't see the type or color of pants as they were surrounded by long steel greaves. Long steel gauntlets were around her hands and arms, and she also had a steel breastplate with two long pieces of metal that guarded her sides. In her hair was a headband. The girl looked to be no older than twelve years.

"C'mon little girl, just come with us," one thief said, "We're not going to hurt you, unlike what we did to your pathetic excuse for a master. All we want is for you to join our gang. We pay well, and can always use a young one with great talent. Play your cards right, and I might even let you become my mate." He and his buddies roared with laughter at that crack. But the girl's face was still as stern as a scolding mom.

"How DARE you hurt Master Ian. I'll get my revenge for him. Take this!" With that, she held out a long sword and struck the laughing bandit. He was impaled through the heart, and killed instantly. The other men weren't finished though, they'd make this whelp understand one way or another. She didn't back down from their challenges, even though it would be a losing battle. There were just too many for one person to fight.

Mina called out, "You hoo boys, how about you come over here for a little. There's plenty of you to go around, if you take on all three of us at once." She jumped down the small rocky ledge to land right next to the girl. Noel, after a moment's hesitation, joined Mina on the ground. He really didn't look like he was happy to be there. But his mom had told him to never ignore someone in trouble, and her words won out.

One thief looked at Mina, and smiled a wicked smile. "Awfully young for such tough words. I think you could use some manner lessons. I'll be the one to give them to you. First, it's not polite to go around wearing a cloak over your face. C'mon, let me see your pretty features. Or are you too ugly to show me?"

"I say you're the one with no manners," retorted Mina, "Trying to take an innocent girl by force like that. You really picked the wrong girl to mess with. I don't take well to brigands like you, and I happen to be in a bad mood. So, just for you, how about a FIREBALL!" With that, she fried a trio of brigands at once.

"That's it! Brat, you're going down. Oh, how I will enjoy doing this. You're going to come with me and I'll make you pay for hurting my men," the leader told her. He had been sitting in the background, just waiting for his followers to finish. The swordswoman's desperation didn't bother him, he'd broken the spirits of girls much more stubborn than her, but it was Mina's arrogance that ticked him off. Now she'd get it.

Mina whispered, "If you want to live, I'd suggest running away now. But, if you continue to pester me and my friends, then I'll be forced to show my hand. Try one more thing buddy, and I'll go Lina Inverse on you." That was a popular threat among sorcerers these days, threatening to invoke the Inverse temper.

The thief leader saw the gleam in her eye, she would do it too. This child had both the power and the will to deliver such a cruel fate. He looked to his men, and gulped. "I'll be good miss, just spare my life. In fact, I was just saying that we should leave you all alone and go home." He then ran back through the woods to where his hideout was. All his men followed. Mina, satisfied, let them run off in peace. Although she wasn't below destroying bandit hideouts to end their lives of thievery, as her idol did in the past and probably still does, she was in a hurry to get home.

"Anyway, thank you for saving me," the girl stated, "My name is Sandi, Sandi Lexford. I'm an apprentice swordswoman to Master Ian Lorenze. Or, was an apprentice swordswoman. Those fiends took the life of my master, and then tried to force me to come with them. Can you help me out of these woods so I can find a new master to teach me the art of swordsmanship? That's my life's dream, to be stronger."

"Sure, just come with us to Seyruun. Heroes are common in the White Magic Capital of the world. So it should be no problem finding a good master there. My name is Mina Felicia, a sorceress in training under Prince Consort Zelgadis Greywers, and Princess Amelia wil Tesla Seyruun. This is Noel, my foster brother. He too is in training as a sorcerer," Mina replied. She knew she could trust Sandi not to use their relation for her own gain. Part of hearing spirits meant reading auras. Sandi's aura was filled with pain and sadness, but it was still one filled with purity. That wasn't uncommon; those who suffered usually felt a lot of sympathy for others who are down and out. Of course, there are lunatics who think they should use the fact that they suffered to justify all sorts of retribution, but they're in the fair minimum in the world today. Mina vowed to ask Sandi about what was in her aura later on. For now, they had to find a way back home.

. . .

As they walked, Sandi asked her, "Mina, why do you have that cloak on? It seems awfully big and bulky. Does it get in the way? Besides, nobody can see what you look like when you're wearing it at all." She looked her new friend straight in the eye, and saw reflections of a sad story beginning to form in them.

Mina took a look at her hand, and removed the glove. Burn marks riddled it. "I was only three when it happened. Demons tried to take the palace for some reason. Nobody knows how they got past the old barrier around Seyruun. But in that attack, as I ran to check on Noel, one of them sent out a lash of fire that covered me from head to toe. All of my hair was burnt off, and there are markings all over my body. For some reason, the burns weren't life threatening though. But they're so disfiguring to look at that I put on the cloak to cover up my shame. I never take it off, lest someone see my disaster ridden face. At least my hair grew back, but different from before. The shade is much darker. Well, that's enough about me for now."

'You're dodging the question,' Noel thought, 'Mina, you won't tell her what exactly is wrong. The burns on your face, they make strange patterns. A flame on the right cheek, a magic circle on the left one, and a Celtic Braid on your forehead. The seers believe they symbolize something. Are you as afraid as I am? Could these powers and the great sorcery in your possession at a young age be a sign of destiny?'

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Teefa's Last Words…

I know, she's just like Zel. Extremely self conscious about her appearance. As a baby, her hair was blond but nobody knows her exact shade now. And I thought the burn mark thing would be cool.