Chapter 11

Living Flame lvl.1

You change your physical body into an aspect of fire and which causes any none magical damage to drain your Mana instead harming you.

Casting time: 2 seconds

Mana cost: 10 mana per second and an amount equal to any none magical physical damage you take.

Components: Somatc

"Did... did you kill them?" the little girl asked me in a quivering voice.

"I don't know, I have never done this before, but I hope I didn't," I answered her before checking if Garon still had a pulse. As I placed my fingers on his neck, to my relief, I could feel a faint heartbeat. I quickly went to check up on the rest of the group and found that they were also alive.

I let out a sigh as I looked at the girl and said: "They all live." She just gave me a sombre nod. I could take a better look at the girl now that she managed to stand up. She was skinny, covered in dirt and grime, and it looked like she hadn't slept or eaten properly for days, based on the fact how much she wavered while just standing. I could also see she was covered in cuts and bruises.

"You don't look too good, you should sit down," I told her as I was going through Elena's backpack and found a bag full of trail rations. The kit of rations contained, dried meat and fruits, some nuts, cheese and salted fish. I tossed the packet of rations to the girl, "Eat, you look like you need it. Just don't wolf it down too quickly or you'll be puking it up."

The girl reached for the rations more quickly then I would have thought possible in her condition and started to eat. As she was eating, I began to go through the rest of the backpacks and found a bunch of camping gear, including two tents and four sleeping bags. The bags also contained some spare clothing, blankets, rope and coins. There were three different kinds of coins, gold, silver and copper. They were all roughly circular in shape and had a hole in the middle, instead of being in a pouch or some other container they were stacked with a cord running through them. I left the counting of the coins for later, as I took the rope and started to tie up Elena's group.

This proofed to be easier said than done as I wasn't the most spectacular specimen of athleticism. It took me a few minutes to drag their limb bodies closer to each other, and roll them over so I could tie their hands behind their backs. When I was almost done, I heard the young girl state behind me in an uncertain voice, "That is wrong."

I looked at her and said, "What do you mean?"

She pointed at the tangle of knots I had made, "The knots, they are all wrong. Really easy to break free."

"Really? How would you do it then?"

She came closer and easily untied the mess of knots I had made and quickly re-tied them in eloquent but simple knots before saying, "There, if they struggle the knots will tighten up."

"Now where did you learned how to do that" I inquired of her. But she merely shrugged without giving me an answer. "Fine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but can I at least get your name?"

She took a few seconds before answering in an uncertain and quiet voice "Red... my name is Red."

"Well, Red, I would like to hear your side of this story."

Red

Red was hidden in an alleyway at the red-light district, waiting for drunken patrons of the pleasure houses to leave. Usually, she wouldn't dare to work here, as this district was run by The Crocs. They didn't like it when some upstart thief tried robbed their customers, they had a good reputation for keeping streets of red-light district safe from people like her. But she was so hungry that she didn't care anymore. So she waited patiently in the alleyway, for any easy marks.

The brothel she was scoping out, was one of the more excellent establishments here and was known to be frequented by the more well-to-do people of the city. Red knew she would get into a lot of trouble if she got caught stealing here. But she waited patiently for anyone leaving. After a few hours, a man stumbled drunkenly out of the front door. He clearly had a hard time just staying up on his feet.

Red started to follow the drunken man as he began to head towards the inner-city district, Red knew she would have to get to her prey before he got there. The inner-city was where the rich and noble of the city lived, and they wouldn't allow people like her there.

After following her mark out of the red-light district, she got lucky as the drunken man went into an alleyway to take a piss. This was the perfect time for her to strike. She quickly but silently followed him and saw him leaning against a wall, relieving himself. Looking around, making sure that they were alone she snuck up behind the man and struck.

Because of her heritage, she had always been stronger and faster than the humans who lived in this city. So when Red kicked him on the back of his knee, she could hear an audible crack from breaking of bones. The man fell down screaming in pain, she quickly punched him, knock him out.

Now that the man was no longer screaming, Red rapidly went through his pockets trying to find his coin pouch but didn't see anything. Getting desperate she looked for anything of value and saw that he was wearing a ring on his right index finger. The ring was made out of gold and had wolf emblem on it. She took the ring off from his finger as it appeared to be the only thing of value he was carrying and started to run back to the slums, where she lived. She would have to go and meet with Croak to sell the ring.

Croak was a well-known fence, who would buy almost anything, even if he never paid the real value of the items. There were fairer and more trustworthy fences in the city, but no of them would do business her because of what she was. So she was forced to sell what she stole to him.

Croak's base of business was in the old sewer system, the old sewers expanded throughout the whole city like a maze. If you didn't know your way navigate them, you could spend days lost down there.

When Red arrived out Croak's place, she heard his weaselly come from behind her, "Well well, if it isn't my favoured little demon spawn. Now, what do I owe the pleasure for this late visit?" She turned around to see Croak standing right behind her. Even though Croak was a short fat man, he was able to sneak up on her every time, no matter how much she was prepared.

Croak wasn't a handsome man, being short and fat. His thinning black hair shoulder length, his bulging eyes and double chin with no neck made him look like an ugly frog.

Red took a couple of weary steps away from Croak and said, "I have something to sell" while showing the ring to him. As he saw the ring, his eyes bulged even more.

"Ohh kid, now you have really done it, the people of this city might have been generous enough to let your kind live here, but now you are in real trouble," he cackled still staring at the ring with eyes wide.

Red narrowed her eyes, annoyed by his usual cackling laughter "What do you mean, do you want to buy it or not?"

Laughing even louder Croak answered "Buy it? Haha, I wouldn't touch that thing even if you gave me all the gold in the city. In fact, I think it is time for you to get out and take that ring as far away from me and my place of business as you can. I will not do any business with you anymore."

Red was getting worried now, Croak never refused a chance for business no matter how 'hot' the stolen items were. But now he looked to be scared of a simple ring. "What? It is just a simple ring, I'll sell for only a few silver coins. I really need the money."

"HAHAHA, simple ring indeed. That thing is the signate ring of the Ravan family, and they would rather burn down this whole city than lose that ring." Croak said, while his now maniacal laughter echoed in the sewers.

Like everyone else, Red had heard of the Ravan family. They were a Noble family of great political and military power. They also had a ruthless reputation of dealing with anyone who opposed them, and there were even rumours that the King was only a puppet under their thumb. Knowing that if this ring really belonged to them and that she had assaulted one of their family members, there would be nowhere in the city where she would be safe.

Red quickly ran past laughing Croak and feverishly tried to think of a solution to her new problem. But she knew that there was only one choice for her now. She would have to go to the Great Forest, where not even the army dared to go.