The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Plundering Dengel's Treasury
The context for this post: The Crimson Killer of Ceiha has launched a plan to eliminate Dragon's Lair Team Four, but he wants Tiza alive. Therefore he sends his minions and partner to kidnap her.
Fun Fact: I like listening to "Before my Body is Dry" while re-reading this scene.
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Back at the camp, Tiza was about to
become a hostage. Then, just as Sosuke set the cuffs around Tiza’s hands, two
mana bolts generated from them and blew her and Kazuma away. Two more at her
feet did the same to Haru, who was holding them together. They had the force of
goat kicks and knocked the wind out of all three of them. Tiza grabbed two
daggers from under her pillow and stabbed Sosuke in the chest. Then she mana
bolted the boys again as they recovered and fell on them in turn.
She walked out of the tent with her
sword on her back, her gauntlets on her arms, and one ring on each hand. There
was dagger in one and the handcuffs in the other. Haburt fired a mana bolt at
her feet powerful enough to crater the ground. It sent shrapnel flying and cut
her dress (it quickly repaired itself to perfect condition).
“Why are you still conscious? The
chloroform should have put you under for hours!”
“I’m immune to it.”
“How could you be immune to
chloroform?”
“Are you kidding? That was the first thing Spider Daylra made me immune to.”
“Did she make you immune to this? Wind Vault!”
Winds picked up all around Tiza and
began solidifying into walls. She ran towards Haburt and the wind followed her,
still solidifying. She cocked a punch, only to hit a wall made of nothing.
“No!”
She pounded on the barrier between her
and Haburt.
“Let me out!”
She punched and kicked, but all she
accomplished was making her hands and feet sting and her wrists sore. She sword-slashed
and mana bolted, but only wasted energy.
Memories flooded her consciousness;
wind closing in, a woman shouting for her, and three men fighting. Haburt
carrying her to a prison somewhere and another woman smiling and forcing something
down her throat. “How are you feeling
today, Vaya dear?”
“AHHHHH!”
Videlicet Mens activated and she
resumed battering the walls of her cage. Every inch of her flared blue light as
she put every ounce of her power into escaping. Haburt held it firm. As a
greater mage, he was leagues ahead of her in spiritual power. Escape was
impossible. Eventually, the aura faded and Tiza sank to her knees. Dropping her
sword, she breathed heavily and hugged herself.
“You must think me a monster for this,
but it’s the only way to reunite with my daughter.”
“S-spare me…the shit… asshole.”
Tiza pushed a button on her hilt and
the bottom dropped out. Along with it was a tiny vial of Mana Juice. She
unscrewed the top and threw back the contents in one shot.
“You don’t care about anyone but
yourself. I've had nightmares about this spell for years and I couldn’t tell if
it was a memory or not. I was terrified of you without knowing why. I suppose I
should thank you for trying a second time. Now I can conquer my fear.”
Haburt gulped. He told himself it was
impossible. She was a novice fighter. Nothing she had could possibly overcome a
greater mage’s spell. Tiza stood up and smirked. It was impossible, but a
sinking feeling in his gut told him otherwise.
Tiza clenched her right fist and then extended
her middle finger to show off the tiger’s eye ring.
“Hard as stone, every bone: Earth
Empowerment!”
Brown light shined from her eyes and
her skin. She picked up her sword and the brown light spread to the tip of its
blade. Her soul was now putting out earth-tinged mana, thus making her an
earth-aligned creature. Her sword was now the perfect key for a cage made of
wind.
She clenched her left fist and then
extended her middle finger to show off the pale sapphire.
“Be gone air, I will not despair: Wind
Banishment!”
Soft blue light flashed and the Wind
Vault waned. The walls were now thinner and the winds themselves weaker.
She took a breath and thrust her sword
through the wind wall. Haburt pushed back, but little by little, the blade
penetrated until it emerged on the other side. With a wordless cry, Tiza
slashed upwards. She stepped through the gap and pointed her sword at Haburt.
Her killing intent made his knees weak.
________________________________________________________The next Sassy Saturday post is Escape from Mt.Heios
Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon
To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit the Tvtropes character sheet.
Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
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