Truth and Understanding?

Nicoletta watched in silence as Durann rushed forward into the darkness; he seemed so upset, though she did not know what she had done to cause his anger. Her gaze shifted to the right as a sickly, green colored sphere appeared in the darkness. Her eyes widened in awe as it began flying quickly through the air. Turning once again to her left as chanting reached her ears; Nicoletta took several steps back as she whispered: “What the hell? Have I entered into a Twilight Zone episode?” Durann stood a couple feet away with his head slightly bowed; the golden staff he was carrying circled his body dizzily and emitted a soft white light. Every pass the staff made around him caused the light to grow brighter and brighter.

Within seconds, Durann’s eyes shot open and he threw out his hands. The light surrounding him followed the motion and arced through the night, turning the small alleyway into day for a split second before the light collided with the green colored sphere. Nicoletta screamed as she ducked and covered her head when both exploded from the contact. The entire block turned to daylight and shook wildly for a moment, before night descended upon it once again. “Nicoletta, are you well?” She shivered at the softly spoken words. After what she just witnessed, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be well again.

Durann sighed deeply before kneeling on the ground beside Nicoletta. He should have warned her first, before reacting to the Tracker’s attack. He was just glad the Tracker had no Familiar with him and fled from the small light spell he had cast. Nicoletta screamed again when he gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Shh, everything is okay. There is no reason for you to be fearful.” He said soothingly as he removed his hand.

His words caused her to raise panic stricken eyes to his. “No reason to be afraid? There is no reason for me to be afraid? …Oh yes, you’re right. What you just did was perfectly normal. I mean, light materializing into existence out of nowhere is an everyday occurrence.” Nicoletta stood and stared angrily down at him, as she continued: “Are you out of your frigging mind?”

For some strange reason, Durann was highly amused over her rant. It was quite understandable how she felt, Crystal had told him this world had absolutely no magic within it, but Nicoletta needed to learn the aspect of magic actually being real. Or Smithy’s Trackers would get their hands on her the next time she ran across one. One young Mage…one young, inexperienced Mage, could only stand against them alone for so long before being overpowered. He would need her help and she his, if they were to survive.

“There are things in this world that are beyond comprehension, but it does not mean, in one form or another, it does not actually exist.” Durann stated as he rose to stand before her. “Haven’t you ever wondered ‘what if’? Or seen something that couldn’t possibly happen, but it did, in fact, occur?” His eyes turned slightly pleading. “Do not be frightened of me, Nicoletta. I am here to protect you not harm you. Allow me to stay by your side and I promise I will show you things that even in your wildest dreams, you never imagined could happen.” Before she could reply, a loud, long whimper echoed into the silence of the night.

Nicoletta’s eyes widened. After what she had witnessed, she had forgotten her friend. “Skylar!”

Durann walked several feet past her to the east, before stopping and turning back to her. “Your friend is this way.”

Wearily, she followed close behind him as he led her further into the alleyway. Mid-way down it, she heard growls of warning and quickly pushed past Durann. Falling to her knees, she pulled the blue and silver hued fur ball into her arms. “It’s ok, Skylar. I’m here. No one else is going to hurt you.” There was a large, bleeding scar across his back and left hand side. Burying her head in his fur in sorrow and regret, Nicoletta heard Durann kneel beside her.

“I need your permission, Nicoletta.” She raised her head and stared at him in confusion.

“Permission for what?”

He sighed deeply. “To heal your wolf. It is against the rules to touch another’s familiar without permission…” Before he could finish, soft words formed in his mind. ‘She is not my master, she is my friend.’ Bewildered, Durann stared down at the wolf again. A Shadow Wolf, following around a Mage, let allow a Guardian Supplicant, and not bonding with them was unheard of. Sighing deeply again, he reached a hand out to the wolf. Nicoletta was going to scream again, he just had the feeling that she was.

The urge to drop Skylar and run fought savagely against Nicoletta’s resolve to stay by her friend’s side, when a bright blue mist formed around Durann’s hand. Her eyes widened in shock as the mist, once over Skylar’s body, drifted down to cover him. When his entire body was covered, it slowly sank into him.

“What’s wrong, I thought you said you were going to heal him?” Nicoletta said as panic started to set within her again; a part of Skylar’s wound healed, but the worst of it hadn’t.

Durann’s eyes were sad as he raised his head to stare at her. “I’m sorry, at the moment; this type of a wound is beyond my skill.”

Nicoletta bowed her head again and held Skylar tighter. “Am I going to lose him then?”

Durann rose to his feet and took a step away from them. “That is not my decision to make. It is entirely up to Skylar. If he wishes to survive, he knows what must be done. If not, than yes, you will lose him. I’ll leave the two of you be, while he decides which path to take.”

She raised her head again. “What does that mean?” But it was asked too late, Durann was already several feet away and didn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. Curling back around Skylar, she whispered softly: “I don’t want to lose you, boy.”

Kain walked through the ruined village of Helmmia. Not even an hour before, Trackers had assaulted the village. He and his small group of Hunters had tried to reach the village to aid them, but did not make it there on time. At least they had made it before the villagers were all slaughtered. Kain stopped and stared at a burning and smoke-filled house, when he thought he heard crying coming from within it. Taking a couple steps closer, his eyes darkened in determination, he had heard it again. After backing a couple steps, he ran at the house and leapt into the broken out window.

Dodging the falling, flaming debris, Kain reached the rear of the house where he had heard the cries coming from. His eyes widened in amazement when he entered a small room. A field of light formed a protective sphere around two figures in the middle of the room, preventing the smoke and fire from harming them. Expecting the light to harm or stop him, Kain took a weary step forward. The Sphere of Protection allowed him to enter it without incident. A young girl instantly raised her head from the still form of an elder woman at hearing his approach. She was on her feet in a second and Kain caught the whiff of a spell. He quickly raised his hands where she had a clear view of them.

“I’m not going to hurt you, young one. My men and I were sent here to help your village when word of the Trackers attack reached us.”

Light, tear-filled, green eyes continued to stare angrily at him. “Why weren’t you here before they destroyed my village? Before they killed my mother?” He took a step closer to her, but kept his hands where she could see them. She still refused to call off the spell she had started.

“We had done our best to get here soon enough for aid, I am sorry for your loss.” Lowering his left hand, Kain held it out to her. “It is not safe here. Come, I will take you to safety.”

She stared at his hand for a moment, before snorting. “Just leave. I don’t need nor want your help.”

Kain sighed deeply at her arrogance. He truly hated Mages, they always ignored what was best for them and did whatever they wanted, when they wanted, even if it killed them to do thusly. He lowered both his hands, the right one barely touching the small object tied to his side. “You will not allow me to escort you safely out of here?”

Her eyes darkened in fury. “I already told you no. Now leave me alone or I will make you leave.” He bowed his head some and his eyes closed slightly. He hadn’t wanted to do this, but sometimes it was necessary.

Before she could react or finish the spell he had conjured, he quickly threw out his right hand, still holding onto the small object. Smoke flew out from the bottom of the bottle; when it touched the girl, she swooned. Kain caught her before her unconscious body hit the floor. As smoke and heat instantly surrounded them from the sphere dispelling, he tossed the girl’s slight frame over his right shoulder, then hurriedly left the crumbling house.