Chapter Seven
Ellisia heard Emilio's unmistakable--not to mention annoying--laughter echoing behind her, but she didn't chance a look over her shoulder. In spite of his faults, Aric was a competent enough sorcerer...and, she had to admit, almost a decent guy from time to time. He would keep the sorcerer busy, she was sure, but she flinched when running boot-steps behind her alerted her to the presence of his pursuing bodyguard Lhynn.
Ellisia had always prided herself on being physically superior to most humans of her size, age and physique. It was a fine compliment to her equally superior beauty, and charm, and generosity, and humbleness and...
...and Lhynn had just drawn level to her, sprinting side-by-side before slowing to match her pace, and the other woman looked hardly winded. It wasn't an effortless pace, but it was one of remarkably minimalist effort, which was unnerving in itself. Ellisia glanced apprehensively toward the dark-haired swordswoman, expecting that eerie black blade to come to bear at any time...but Lhynn kept on running, her eyes focused steadfastly forward on the back of the retreating Golem.
...well. Maybe one of them is sane after all, she thought, permitting herself a small smirk...and then nearly panicked when one of Lhynn's hands shot out to snag hold of her cape and jerk her aside. Nearly losing her balance, Ell started to snap something when she caught a glimpse over her shoulder of the lamppost she had nearly run into with her eyes turned. Mentally berating herself, she focused forward again, keeping their mutual foe in mind.
Ell had to admit, there were times she almost began to wish she knew that ever so convenient Raywing spell, even as reckless and dangerous as it was; Levitation would be even slower than her running speed. Perhaps she should have allowed Aric to handle the pursuit and stayed behind to deal with the blowhard, herself, but...Aric would have been squashed flat by the golem, if not something else Kaia summoned, and then the Armor would be lost once again.
Fortunately, while it may have been fast for a golem, Onyx was still no match for the speed of smaller, lighter, more nimble human-sized pursuers, and Ell and Lhynn were rapidly gaining. The trick, though, was what to do when they did catch up. Ell wouldn't be able to get any leverage, at this speed, to bring her strength to ear...and Lhynn would probably just break her sword on its armored bulk.
It was quite a conundrum, but even as she pondered she felt Lhynn tugging lightly at her sleeve. She glanced from the corner of her eye, careful to keep her attention partially fixed forward as well, and frowned to see Lhynn gesturing in the manner of giving a boost, hands cupped in front of her and lifting upward. Ellisia frowned more, and mimicked the motion uncertainly...and Lhynn suddenly vaulted upward with startling agility for a human.
Though confused, Lhynn instinctively hauled up when she felt one wolf's-hide boot heel land in her clasped fingers, her inhuman strength sending the raven-haired swordswoman flying up and forward. Even as Ell continued to run, she watched with wide eyes as Lhynn somersaulted through the air, uncurled with her sword drawn from its back-harness...but, instead of swinging it, caught her empty arm around the pink-haired girl's waist and tore her down from the golem's shoulder. The two went tumbling over the paving-stones as the black golem stumbled to a perplexed stop, and when it turned with murder in its red glowing eye-lights the pedestrians gathered around thought it best to flee like hell.
Ellisia, herself, slowed to a stop with her hammer drawn, interposing herself between Onyx and the other two women. " 'Fraid not, my very large friend. You'll be dealing with me." The stony monster seemed more than willing to oblige, hefting its massive stone sword, ready to crush her under its very weight.
Then, suddenly, it froze. Ell blinked, watching as its glimmering eyes dimmed and seemed to shrink, almost like contracting human pupils. They were focused over her head and beyond her, so she turned slowly to see...
...Lhynn, standing with Kaia in a headlock with her free arm, the black sword's edge lifted to the little pink-haired sorceress' chin and a hard, even merciless set to her glaring gray eyes.
Ellisia hesitated. Hostage-taking wasn't...really her style. And from the way the sword was pressing so hard that a tiny trickle of blood was running down Kaia's throat, Lhynn didn't look to be bluffing, nor to be the squeamish type.
Still, maybe Ell could play this off without anybody getting hurt. Lhynn obviously wasn't about to say anything, or she would have by now, so Ell turned herself to face the golem. "That's right, rocky one. Now, set the Armor down nice and slow, and your mistress will come to no harm." When the golem didn't react, Ellisia heard Kaia yelp as the blade pressed a little harder, and the half-Dragon hastily raised a hand to forestall Lhynn's eager hand.
"Onyx only listens to me!" Kaia snapped defiantly, once the black edge had been pulled back far enough to permit speech. Then she glared cutely, the expression almost more like a pout save for the set of her large, blue eyes. "You're mean! We never hurt anybody! Just leave us alone!"
Ell flinched, but Lhynn remained steadfast and Ellisia nerved herself. "Listen, little girl. We need that suit of armor for something very, very important. If it's possible, we'll allow you to use it as you wish when we're done. Now tell the golem to drop the armor."
Kaia sulked for a moment, remaining stubbornly defiant as only a young teenager can. A subtle motion of Lhynn's sword was enough to make her gasp, and while Ell frowned in disapproval it did merit the desired results.
"Put the magic armor down, Onyx," Kaia mumbled reluctantly, but in spite of her tone the golem obeyed immediately, setting the suit down on the stones with a series of muted clankings.
"Good. Now banish the golem."
Kaia hesitated, before being prompted by another prod of black metal. "Okay, okay! Onyx, go wait outside the city until I come to meet you."
Inexplicably, the black knight-like golem actually seemed to melt into the stone below, disappearing into the cracks between the paving-stones. Once it was completely gone, Ell slowly walked to heft up the fully-assembled suit of plate-and-chainmail, hefting it over her shoulder the way she would carry a human body, and with just as little effort. Turning back to Kaia, she actually half-bowed. Then, she stepped closer, as Kaia's eyes slowly grew wider at the subtle display of strength. "Tell me, little girl...what did you want to use this armor for?"
Kaia gulped, visibly. "I-I...I just wanted to try and make a g-golem with it..." she mumbled like a scolded child, trembling slightly under the double threats of sharp sword and female authority figure. "I didn't mean any harm! I just wanted to try a spell and I thought it would be b-better to work with armor that was already magic to start with!"
"Lhynn, let her go," Ellisia said with a small sigh. The swordswoman held her weapon in place a moment longer, then somewhat roughly shoved Kaia to the paving-stones and leveled the weapon to point down at her. Ell bent down in a more solicitous manner, pushing the blade aside with her free hand. "Listen, little girl, playing with magic like that is dangerous. You could get hurt and, even worse, you could unintentionally hurt other people. I know you didn't mean to, but it can happen anyway. Now, we need this armor for something very, very important, something that might be able to help a lot of people. Do you understand?"
Trying to edge away, scooting backward on her hands and rear, Kaia nodded numbly. When Lhynn slowly slung her sword back over her shoulder, the girl recovered some of her gumption and stood back up. "I understand!" Kaia replied in a more defiant tone. "You're just a couple of greedy old thieves who want that armor all for yourself when I got to it first! And I'm not a little girl, I'm fifteen years old!" While Ell and Lhynn were both blinking in bafflement, Kaia suddenly ran toward the nearest corner...and began shouting at the full (and very considerable) capacity of her ample lungs. "Guards! Guards! Thieves! I've been robbed!!"
Both women suddenly looked at each other, eyes wide. At first, Lhynn made as though to rush the girl and silence her, but Ell stopped her with a hand to her arm and a shake of her head. Instead, she pulled the dark-haired woman along with her, releasing her as she began to run back in the direction from whence they'd come.
And none too soon, it seemed, for she could already hear the clanking of armored feet tromping in hot pursuit along the paving-stones. A lot of armored feet...far more than seemed to be appropriate for such a small perceived-mugging.
"It is the Armor! Get them!!" she heard a gruff voice calling from behind, and Ell's eyes went wide an instant before she poured on an extra burst of speed. This wasn't looking good...what was the Atlass City Militia looking for the Armor for?!
"Look, not to sound ungrateful or anything," Aric mumbled, shifting awkwardly on the park bench where he had been urged to sit, "but I really don't have the money on me to pay for this right now."
The young woman who had approached him didn't even look up from her work, her palms raised as her staff nestled in the crook of her arm, a globe of impossibly white, White Magic energy emerging from her hands and centered around the worst of the burns on his arm. The residual effect spread through the rest of him with faint shimmers of white, as she sat with eyes closed.
This close, and with her attention otherwise occupied, her patient could get a good look at her. The exterior of her little cape, which modestly covered her backside, matched the rose-maroon color of her arm-sleeves and her over-dress. The gown peeking out through the mahogany leather lacing the front and back of the over-dress together was a flowing emerald-green and pooled on the ground. Her dainty feet were shod in sandals the same color as the lacing, with oval-shaped emerald closures just above her ankle. The interior of her cape, the ribbons attached to the gold-embellished cuffs of the arm-sleeves, and her belt--also gold-trimmed--were the same rich green. Of particular note was a tattoo, three triangles--each within the other, the middle one upside-down--on her right cheekbone. Her hair was a silvery shade of lavender, and cut closely to her head except for one slim braid, holding an emerald tucked behind her right ear. The staff in the crook of her arm was a work of art in itself, all red-stained ironwood with ivory ornamentation, the butt capped with some metal he couldn't readily identify. At the head of it was a metal ring, from which dangled maroon ribbons surmounted by narrow, cylindrical little chimes or bells that sounded musically whenever she moved it.
Opening her sky-blue eyes, the girl observed her work. "I am a White Sorceress," she said simply with a small smile, after a nod of satisfaction. Then the eyes lifted up to him. "There's no need for something as selfish as recuperation, when there was a clear need for my talent."
"I think you mean remuneration," Aric replied nervously, glancing down to check the healing over himself. Perhaps surprisingly enough, she seemed to know her trade. Maybe the slip of the tongue was a fluke. Nevertheless, he certainly wasn't going to argue free healing.
"That's what I said," she answered with an innocent blink.
"...right. Anyway, thanks. I guess I owe you, Miss, um..." He waited, prompting silently.
"Von Dystrateven," she answered with a small bow from where she sat. "Selaena von Dystrateven. Such good works are the calling of those who practition White magic."
"It's practice."
"Like I said."
Aric felt a headache coming on...and not induced by Ell's repeated hammer assaults.
The sudden thought of that made him blink, and he surged instantly to his feet. He had to find Ell! But... "Um, look, Miss--ah, Selaena, I'd love to stick around and chat compensation, but I've really gotta run--"
He trailed off as he looked in the direction in which Ell had disappeared, perking toward the sound of faint commotion. As it grew louder, he felt his eyes going wide, recognition slowly coming to him.
In the very lead was a stunningly beautiful young woman, long flowing golden hair and big dark eyes that would have been lovely if they hadn't been wide with panic, toned legs carrying her at speeds no bipedal creature was meant to achieve as she inconceivably managed to lug a full set of plate-and-chainmail slung over one shoulder like a body.
Just slightly behind her and to one side was a second woman, not quite as remarkable though still darkly attractive, with black tresses trailing in her wake like a cape. While the first woman wore clothing that looked like a wealthy person's first attempt at buying adventure-wear, this one was attired simply in a gray-furred wolf's-hide tunic that covered her from collar to mid-thighs, snugged in place at her waist by a wolf's-pelt belt as wolf's-pelt boots clopped loudly over the cobblestones. Most noteworthy, though, was the great black sword etched with scarlet runes, slung currently over her back.
And behind the clearly recognizable Ellisia and Lhynn...pursued what seemed to be at least half the running Atlass City militia, weapons drawn and fanatical-death-in-the-name-of-justice in their eyes. Spying the two standing in the middle of the square, the blonde waved energetically while the black-haired woman continued to run with admirable singleness of purpose...but worse yet was the man at the head of the wall of steel blades and armor.
"Look! That girl has the Staff too! Get them all! First man to bring me all three Artifacts gets triple salary for a year!"
Eyes suddenly wide in alarm, Aric turned to look at the girl behind him, then at the rushing wall of military might...and then came to a snap decision. "Time to leave!" Snagging hold of the lavender-haired-girl's upper arm, he turned sharply on a heel and began to bolt, just in time to fall in line next to the other two women.
"Wha--!" was all the girl had time to utter before she was literally yanked from her seat and off her feet. Recovering them posthaste, she fell into step with the others, surprisingly so considering her dress. Aric didn't have time to ponder the mechanics of that, for even as the sorceress reoriented herself, she panted out, "Wh-where, are...we going?"
"Out of town would be my guess!" Aric shot back, "But at this rate, we'll be followed for sure!" He passed a warning glance to Ell and Lhynn, who nodded as they read his intent, and he subtly ascertained that his grip on Selaena's arm was firm. Then, his free hand lifted over his head, and he took as deep a breath as he could manage. "Dark Mist!!"
Congealing out of thin air, black as pitch and almost palpably viscous fog settled in a blinding blanket over the streets, just in time for the fleeing quartet to pass another crossroads. Veering sharply left, guiding the staff-carrying spellcaster along with him, Aric lead the run a short distance onward down the new path...before finally stumbling to a halt, clearing the last vestiges of the spell-induced shroud as all staggered and skidded to a stop. Selaena lifted one of her hands to clamp around the chimes at the head of her staff, silencing them, and the sounds of clanking armored footsteps continued to run by for some minutes, before finally fading into the distance. Releasing Selaena's arm, he bent again to prop his hands on his knees, gasping deeply for air. He wasn't the type for all this heavy constant running, and a five-to-ten minute break to sit down and rest had not been enough. "...whew. Ell, good work getting the armor and all, but did you have to bring the city guard down on us?"
"Hey!" the half-Dragon responded sharply, "It isn't my fault that little brat Kaia is a snitch. I've half a mind to put the whelp over my knee next time I see her."
"Well, whatever. The point is we're two up on Emilio now."
"Two?"
"Later," he waved aside, pushing himself to stand straighter. Lhynn was the only one in the small group who didn't even look slightly winded. Indeed, she continued to glare into the mist toward the sounds of retreating footsteps, her right hand lifted over her shoulder to curl around the grip of her sword. This time it was she whom Aric addressed, causing her to turn toward him as he spoke.
"Say, Lhynn...now that that clod Emilio is gone, why don't you tag along with us for awhile? Why, with your swordplay and our magic..." But he trailed off, frowning slightly, as she simply gave him a blank expression that still bore halfhearted hints of a glare.
Swinging the great broad-bladed weapon down from its harness, the dark-haired woman stood her ground for a moment before making a sudden turn--right toward the City Wall which was now in plain sight. Vaulting up, she thrust her blade into a crack between the stones, used that grip to stretch up with her other hand and grab a higher ledge, then wrenched her sword free again and disappeared over the wall.
"...well." Leaving Ell to continue catching her breath, Aric turned back to the new girl with crossed arms. "Looks like they're after you, too, huh?"
Watching the amazing display of acrobatics, she blinked at the sound of his voice and looked over at him when he questioned her, absentmindedly tucking the shoulder-length braid with its dangling emerald behind her ear. "They should have no reason to." she replied quietly. "I have done nothing to warrant their attenuation...until a few moments ago." She released the tiny bells, which tinkled softly.
The misspoken word jolted the blonde's attention from the wall to the conversation, and a frown creased her petite features. "I think you mean 'attention', dear."
"That's what I said."
Aric ignored it this time, glancing toward her staff as a hand lifted to thoughtfully cup his chin. "Seemed to be that staff they were after, rather than just you." He cast a knowing glance toward Ell from the corner of his eye. She returned one in kind, with an almost imperceptible nod. Seeing the exchange, and the look each of them gave the staff, the lavender-haired girl clutched it protectively closer to her and edged subtly backward.
"There were only a few until they saw the Armor, then more started filtering in," she added, shifting the suit higher on her shoulder with a subtle rattle of metal chain.
"But why the hell does Atlass City want the Artifacts?" Aric demanded, tugging his hair in frustration. "Gah! No time for this right now. We need someplace quiet and safe to think this out."
Selaena still looked wary, and cautious, but she nerved herself and stepped forward again. Daring to look him in the face, she mentioned quietly, "...I was headed for the library when I saw you. But if that will not do, I still remember where I camped last night; it is some distance from town."
"Far from town," the blonde woman proclaimed, forcibly straightening and lifting her free hand to elegantly fluff and then toss her hair, letting it gleam in the sunlight as it cascaded back down along her back like liquid gold. "Far from town is good. Guards will probably be watching a major structure like the library."
This time, Aric submitted to the demand, imperious as it was, and looked expectantly to the young woman who had inexplicably walked right up to him with their missing puzzle-piece. "Look, since this has become as much your problem as ours, will you lead us there? You can't stay in town with the militia after you anyway."
She glanced uncertainly between Aric and Ellisia...then nodded meekly, turning. The little bells jingled softly at each measured step as she walked purposefully toward the open end of the little alley.
By this point the concealment spell had faded--though there was thankfully no further need of it, for the moment--and travel along the main roadway toward the city gate was relatively smooth. With the militia on the lookout for three distinctive-looking people with magical Artifacts held in plain sight, the blockade at the gate had apparently been dissolved. As little sense as that made (Aric would have imagined it would have been tripled instead), he wasn't one to look gift steeds in their chops. Had he noticed the silhouetted figure watching them pass through the archway from the darkest available shadows, he would have reconsidered that philosophy.
Turning to look at the newly-acquired companion as they walked, Aric spoke up with a more casual air. "I suppose at this point more thorough introductions are in order. My name is Aric Winterbourne. And this is Ellisia." The blonde just barely lifted one hand for an indolent little wave of acknowledgment.
"Good day and well-met to you both." she replied, looking up with a little smile. "I am Selaena von Dystrateven." Aric nodded in acknowledgement--Ellisia merely let out a soft, wordless sound, something like a "hm" but without as much effort put into it, as she hefted the suit of armor a little higher on her shoulder with as little clanking as possible.
"Now," Ellisia went on promptly, skipping right past the formalities and addressing Aric. "You said we were only two up on Emilio. I suppose it would be too much to hope that you managed to snag the Token," Ellisia spoke up at last, turning toward Aric with a lifted eyebrow.
"Well, um...Not...exactly, no. No, I don't think you could say I exactly managed to snag the coin. In fact, you might say Emilio is probably a league out from the city by now. So we're still one shy of a full deck."
Ellisia sighed, lifting her hand to her temple. "I see. Wonderful. Then do we at least have any clue where he might go now?"
"Notta one. Well, at least, not until he finds us."
"Terrific. And then there's still the maniacal pink-haired sorceress on the loose, probably still angry at us for taking the Armor from her. Have I about sized up our situation?"
"I'd say so."
"Good." She smiled unenthusiastically. "I'd hate to be unaware of just how screwed we are."