Our First Battle

Before I could react, a sudden burst a wind slashed past me. The wind left me unbalanced. I was too weak to fight back or even defend myself at this moment in time.

"Please leave us alone. I can't fight right now and I have nothing to give you." I cried because I was so weak. 

"You really think we are going to stop now right after we've started. You've gotta be kidding me." A voice replied to me in a disembodied tone. 

When I slowly turned my head to the right to see where the voice came from, I saw her blood-red hair stream through the air while she cast another wind spell.

"Kaze katto, " she yelled while another blast of wind launched towards me, cutting my left cheek. The drop of blood slowly oozed out of the cut onto the floor. 

I need more power.

When the red-haired woman tried to throw another spell at me, Shiriko jumped in front of me and howled which caused the blade of wind to fly into another direction. 

"I will protect you, master," Shiriko announced as he turned to look at me. 

To my right, I could see Ellinor facing off to a large guy, who happened to have a large sword. He had short hair and a deep scar that ran through his left eye. 

"You gonna keep hiding behind your beast their little girl," The red-haired woman yelled at me, "If wind magic ain't gonna work on you then I'll use some earth magic and force you to come out from hiding."

"Yuganda tochi, " she announced, forcing the land around us to warp and reshape itself forcing me to come forward where Shiriko can't help me. 

"What do you want from me?" I yelled at her while I was forced closer and closer.

She laughed at me then said, " It's not what I want but what you're willing to give, little girl."

To my right, the ground crashed into a large dust cloud. When the dust cleared away I could see Ellinor still standing and the big guy on the floor passed out. 

"Hikari o iyasu, " Ellinor chanted, shortly before falling to the floor. A light suddenly appeared around me, nurturing me. The light healed my injuries and allowed me to move more freely.

"I see, " I announced with a smile while I looked a the red-haired woman, waiting for a good fight," You asked for a fight; you're getting that fight you asked for."

When I start to chant a dark art spell, the woman slowly backs away from me."Watashi wa teki o mahi sa seru tame ni yami o yobu." A dark cloud appeared above her, submerging her within the darkness. 

The defenceless girl screamed in terror " What is this power. No-one should have a power like this!" 

"It's only using your fears against you. Acting all high and mighty after having so many fears revealed to you." I announced with a grin.

With a click of my finger, the dust cloud disappeared as soon as it came. I smile at the broken girl. " Not so strong now, are we?"

"You win; please leave us alone." She pleaded as she stumbled onto the ground with tears in her eyes.

"You never stopped when I asked you to now, did we," I replied as I smiled at her dreadful expression. "I just love the way you look so devastated, I couldn't hold myself back."

"You're a monster… no, a demon." She cried as she looked up to me.

"No honey, I'm an angel." I grinned while I backed away to tend to Ellinor. "So that's why I'm gonna let you run home free."

"You're no angel!" She said as she cowered away in fear of me. 

As I tended to Ellinor's wounds using the rest of the Mana potion that was left, she regained conscience but she was as weak as I was before. I called Shiriko to help her rest while I stood away to keep watch.

"I'm glad she didn't see me," I said to myself while I looked to see if there were anyone else waiting for us to leave. 

"I'm better now," Ellinor weakly groaned while she struggled to walk over to me.

"You need to let your mana replenish itself," I replied in fear of her hurting herself.

I quickly ran towards her and laid her down onto Shiriko's soft fur so she can rest. While she groaned in pain from the mana fatigue, I gave her the rest of the mana potion. If only I was good enough at light magic, I would be able to heal her. 

"I hear some scuttering in the forest," I said to her while she stayed on the floor.

"I told you we can't stay here. More of them will come." She cried back, almost pushing me away.

"Fine, you're right. You can go on Shiriko while I lead the way." I announced as I got a slight lead on them.

When we walked around the forest, we could see a small town. Struggling, we rushed to the town to stay for a while. 

"You can't come into the town with that beast with you, little girl." A guard declared, from what looked like, the royal capital.

"And what's a royal guard doing all the way out here?" I replied at the large guard with his shiny armour.

"I'm here on duty, little girl. And I'm saying that you can't bring in that beast of yours with you." He stated as he tried to get close to intimidate me.

"I'm not like others, I don't break so easily sir. I have had a long day and I have a wounded friend with me. She needs medical attention and if it wasn't for this wolf then we would be dead. You got that sir!" I announced as I walked past him with Shiriko.

While we walked through the small town, I could see us getting a lot of questionable looks from the citizens.

"Shiriko, is there any way you can hide yourself?" I said to him.

"Of course, master. I can hide in your shadow." He replied as he wagged his tail with a happy face. 

"Yes, that would be helpful. I can take Ellinor from here. We will find a tavern or an inn so we can stay a night or two while Ellinor recovers. Is that alright with you?" I mentioned as we walked around the town to find an inn. 

When I walked around the corner I could see an inn called 'Murphys Inn'. I walked into the inn to see a nice man running the place up at the front with a younger girl that looked about my age. 

"Hi, how much to stay for two nights?" I asked the man up at the front with a smile while I carried Ellinor on my back. 

"Right, it will be eight bronze pieces, please" the man replied as he glared at Ellinor on my back.

"Thank you, now what room will I be staying in tonight." I kindly asked the man. 

"Right my daughter will take you to your room now." He replied to me with a smile as he pointed towards the young woman. 

The young woman had long blond hair; she had amber eyes with glasses over them. She had beautiful, light skin with a large bust.

"Hi, I'm paige, nice to meet you" she softly spoke out in an embarrassed tone of voice. 

"Cara, nice to meet you too," I replied, " now where is my room, paige. I have to tend to my friend's wounds"

"But I don't see any wounds on her?" She said in a concerned manner of speaking. 

"Mana deprecation; that's what's wrong with her," I mentioned while a sadly looked at Ellinor.

"How did that happen to her?" She replied while she took a step closer to me. 

"We were attacked while we were camping out the night by the forest. We've dealt with them now but not before she could use up all her mana." I explained while I held Eleanor's hand. "Now if you don't mind I would like to get some rest." 

"Right, I'll let you be." She said before backing out of the room.

When I laid Ellinor onto the bed, I sat down beside her, hoping she will get better fast. I fed her another mana potion to help.

"I'm going to go into town for a bit. Maybe I could find a shop where I can get some more mana potions. We are going to run out if we keep burning through them like this." I said while I stood up to leave the room.

"Don't leave me yet," She groaned in an exasperated pain.

"I won't be too long so just rest for now. " I smiled while I left the room.

When I slowly walked down the stairs I could hear some people on the first floor having fun. While I looked to my right, I could see Paige waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"Leaving already?" She questioned me while I walked past her. "It's a bit hard not to hear you when I've been waiting here for you to come out of your room."

"So, you were eavesdropping on us," I replied in a slightly angered tone. "I'd prefer you not to listen in on us while we are here."

"Fine, I won't do it again, She replied with a guilty yet cheerful smile.

"You said you were waiting for me; is there anything you want?" I said to break the silence between us.

"Oh, right… I heard you were going through town to look for a potion. I can help you with that?" She replied with a happy smile.

"So that's why you're here then. So you were waiting for me to show me around town?" I said with close to no emotion. 

"I get it, I'm sorry I listened in to you when you were in your room. I just wanted to show you around town as you look new here." She said, trying to justify her actions.

"I looked new here?" I replied in an accused tone. 

"You are staying in a tavern; I've never seen you around anyway." She explained with a smile.

"I believe you and yes we are not from around here. Still, that's not an actual reason to have to show me around town. I can find my own way around town." I explained, trying to get out without her so I can be alone for a while.

"But there's something I want to show you and I have something to tell you." She said as she followed me down the stairs. 

"Can't it wait till I get back. I have some important things to do. Without you getting in my way." I said as I walked through the door, closing it behind me. 

While I walked through the town, too agitated to notice anything around me, I walked into an alleyway to cool down. After I cooled down I actually noticed where I was, a dead end. The stone brick wall climbed up high to cut me off from the sun. I could hear water flowing through the drains and nearby chatter from the streets. It was the perfect place to cool down.

"Hey, pretty girl, what you doing in a place down here?" A creepy man asked me as he walked into the ally, cutting off the only exit.

"Not much, just venting off some annoyance. You could probably help you know?" I said with a smile as my sight snapped to the man. 

"You bet I can help you, " The man grinned back. 

"I have a problem with you being here. I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I'm not into guys but if you want I can always mess you up. Does that sound good?" I explained while a smiled and grinned through it all.

"So… you don't like men?" He asked with disbelief. "You like a woman?"

"Yeah, I just find men weird and creepy. Not what I would like to be with; I would rather be with a cute girl other than a man like you." I replied as I avoid eye contact this time. 

"I can get around something like that." Joyfully, he smiled. 

"Well, you won't be able to," I said as I used a paralysation spell on him. The man dropped into the floor with a thud. No-one heard it as we're in a solotile spot in the town.  While I crunched down by the motionless body I whispered "Also, one more question, do you enjoy pain?"