Thomen

Location: Gloria's Temple / School

Time: Y1502 / 27th day of the Ice Moon

POV: Liara

Another morning, another day of school. And after this, I'll have to peel potatoes both for lunch and for dinner. And on top of that I have my magic practice in the afternoon.

I'd like to take it easy, but I'll be a lot safer once I know magic. I'll just have to bear with it.

...

What is this sensation? My guts are tangling up. I feel like something is wrong.

*enter* (Liara)

The classroom. Feels different? Ramia is not here. The children are sitting like statues and are as pale as ghosts.

*slam* (Door)

[Duck!!!] (Soldier Me)

There are many Me I don't talk often with. This one was a soldier. He has lots of experience in hand to hand combat. He took part in a war. Bloody business.

His experience is what saved me right now. Adrenaline fills my body, time compresses, I enter in battle mode. Something he learned the hard way through training and war. I'm scared, but he learned to focus all of his attention in what to do next. I don't panic.

It's the first time the experiences of one of the Other Me experiences taking over like this. Must be because of the danger. I know without seeing that two brats are behind me. One closed the door, one is swinging a wooden stick.

They might be brats, but I have the body of a two years old little girl. They are a threat to me!

*duck* (Liara)

Just in the nick of time! They must be two of Thomen's side kicks. I'm one meter tall. The bullies are much older and taller than me. The wooden stick aiming at my head, passes over me, and hit the other brat in his crotch.

"Arghhh!" (Brat)

Their surprise attack has failed! My heart is beating like crazy.

[Barrier!!!] (Gamer Me)

[Shut up! I call the shots. Run! And weave magic threads while you are running!] (Soldier Me)

I have a few moments to glimpse at his memories. Soldier me knows what he is talking about. I get up and run forward.

As I run, threads appears into existence at the tip of my fingers. If those brats could, they would see ribbon like threads of light floating behind me.

*Tsk* (Liara)

I can't focus properly! The threads are tattered and irregular! I'm still weak.

[On your nine!!! Dodge!!!] (Soldier Me)

*rock hit* "OUCH!" *fall* (Liara)

... Blood is coming down from my forehead. Thomen hit me with a rock. It hurts. He is a top candidate for the Order of the Knights. He does have fighting skills. Bastard.

Soldier Me experience is not enough to compensate for the weakness of my two years old body. My reflexes just can't keep up. The difference is just too big.

*grin* (Thomen)

Thomen is closing in to me. Slowly. He thinks he has won. He wants to thoroughly beat me up. His grin betrays the satisfaction he is feeling.

Huge mistake. Time is all I need.

[It won't be perfect, but it should hold up against them. At least until the teacher arrives. Do it!] (Science Me)

(Liara)

Thin, flimsy magic threads I gathered forms together in a dome like web centered around me. The threads squish up becoming like sheets, closing the barrier. Mostly.

This barrier is anchored to the floor. My body won't have to bear the force of the impacts, but I won't be able to move. It take mere moments to erect the barrier. It is done.

It's not a good job. The barrier even has small holes like Swiss cheese and is thin. But it will take a couple of hit from a fat brat.

"TAKE THIS!!!" (Thomen)

Thomen is holding a big rock over his head with both of his hands.

Wait, really?!? That would kill me!!!

He plans to crush my head with it. Lunatic.

*hit* (Large Rock)

*boing* *ripples* (Barrier)

*bounce* (Large Rock)

*grunf* *fall* (Thomen)

Had he hit me in the head like that I would have died!!! He really would have done it!!! He is crazy!!!

But my barrier stopped him. It's elastic. It's meant to deflect impacts.

Thomen tumbles down. His hands are bleeding, they might be broken. His little mind can't wrap around the fact that his big rock bounced off an elastic invisible wall.

I look around. The brat with the wooden stick is running away. The one who was hit in the crotch is running too. He must really be in pain. Thomen reign over them through fear and strength. His strength just failed him. His side kicks are fleeing! The other children are running to a corner. They are terrified!

It doesn't look like Thomen will raise up soon. He is confused, and his eyes are moist. He was just bested by a two years old girl. His little mind can't accept this fact.

[Don't relax yet! Weave a better barrier. Now!] (Soldier Me)

Soldier Me shows me a memory of being ambushed after a successful skirmish. They had just relaxed and lowered their guard. He lost many comrades. He died right there.

Thanks for the lesson, Soldier Me. I won't make the same mistake.

This barrier is only one meter in diameter, and it's too short for me to get up. I am sitting down while crossing my legs. I wave and collimate more magic threads.

It only take about ten seconds. I have enough now.

(Liara)

The mass of magic threads around me forms together in a fabric like grid shaped like a semicircular dome. it's invisible to the others kids. They can't see magic yet.

Two more seconds, and the new barrier is complete! I weaved it on top of the old one.

The tattered barrier I weaved first served it's purpose. At my behest it unravels into magic threads. I take my time and collimate those irregular magic threads into better ones. The magic threads floats aimlessly around me. I'll be ready to weave at a moment notice, now.

I won. Thomen just don't know it yet.

*push* "What is this!!! Why is there an invisible wall!!! Take it down and fight me like a man!!! ARGHHHHHHHH!!!" *push harder* (Thomen)

Blood is still dripping from my forehead. I glare at him.

"I'm a two years old frail little girl. You are physically stronger than me, Thomen. I will not fight you with strength, because your strength means nothing against my magic! You can try your entire life and still be unable to reach me. You are a weakling, Thomen. You have lost. Against a two years old little girl. YOU ARE WEAK!" (Liara)

My words pierce him like a blade.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" (Thomen)

[Was it necessary to taunt him? He looks like a mad man now!] (Bookworm Me)

[You forgot that he tried to kill us? Now that he is consumed by rage, he is no longer a threat.] (Soldier Me)

*punch* *bleed* (Thomen)

*punch* *bones break* (Thomen)

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! GET OUT!!!!!!!!!" (Thomen)

This is... Unsettling. He obviously has some psychological problem. He keeps hammering my barrier with his puny punches. To no effect. My barrier is no longer invisible. His blood is staining it, revealing it's dome like shape. His physical prowess is becoming his undoing this time.

...

"No teacher! I need you to do something else!!!" (Brat)

"Enough, Karan. I'm late for the class already! ... Sorry, children, I... WH.A.. ..." (Ramia)

About five minutes passed since the attack began. I now understand why the teacher was late. Another one of Thomen's side kicks was holding her up.

She is frozen at the door and stopped taking mid sentence. Well, the scene before her is absurd.

The children all run toward a far corner and are hunkering down, trembling and crying.

I'm sitting down, with my leg crossed. I'm bleeding. And tears are coming from my eyes. Part of it is a trick to look scared, but I have to say that after the adrenaline run out, the enormity of what happened hit me. I'm scared of what the grown ups will do.

Even if Ramia can't see my magic, she must be seeing the shape of my barrier, revealed by Thomen's blood splats.

In front of me, Thomen is a wreck. The biggest boy in the class. Strong and muscular. A Dark Skin at least half a meter taller than me and three times as heavy. But it's him that's laying down with his hands crushed and crying like a little girl.

If I didn't have my magic barrier, or Soldier Me experience to help me, I would have died right here. Thomen's rock would have crushed my skull.

[Don't hold anything back. Tell the adults EVERYTHING. You have no obligation to protect Thomen from his own stupid actions. If you do, he would only feels entitled to try again. And maybe next time he will succeed.] (Bookworm Me)

Bookworm Me show me some memories about protecting bullies and being bullied even more. Awful.

Thank you all. I don't know what I would do without you.

[[You are welcome!]] (All Me)

*sniff* (Liara)

Mother

Location: Gloria's Temple / School

Time: Y1502 / 27th day of the Ice Moon

POV: Liara

"Liara, we know it's not your fault. You can come out of your barrier now. Let us heal your wound!" (Ramia)

"NOOO! I don't want to die! Nobody can harm me in here! I want Mother!!!" *cry* (Liara)

[That's a bit over the top?] (Science Me)

[On the contrary. A two years old girl was about to get killed by a bully. This is the only sane reaction. To cling to what saved her. Her barrier.] (Doctor Me)

[Plus, by making this event even bigger, we'll make sure Thomen will be dealt with!] (Gamer Me)

You make all fair points. But I really won't come out until Serina arrive. She is the only adult I trust.

It's been half hours since Thomen's assault on me.

It was a chaotic half hour.

Eventually the guards came and took Thomen away. The adults reconstructed the events quite accurately. Several brats ambushed me, and I weaved a barrier to protect myself.

They wanted me dead. I made sure they understood that.

The big rock painted with blood that lay just outside the barrier is proof enough.

"Liara isn't listening! Can't any of you unravel this barrier? We need to treat her wound!" (Ramia)

"Just wait for Serina... Liara's wounds are not life threatening. Plus, It's beyond my skills to unravel a barrier of this level." (Carlotta)

Beyond your skills? Really? Carlotta is a Fair Skin woman, she is in her late twenties. She has short black hair and brown eyes. She has a generous bosom. She is training under Carminia as a nurse. She is supposed to be at least on par with Mother when it comes to healing magic. And she can't unravel my barrier?

[That's only natural. The way of weaving magic we developed is far more efficient that the one Meridia taught us. Meridia is undoubtedly better then this woman. And her speciality is healing magic. Not barriers.] (Science Me)

"Is this true? An healer can't unravel a barrier weaved by a two years old girl?" (Guard)

"This isn't any two years old girl. This one is Liara, the Gifted One. I had my doubt, but now that I see it, there is no mistake. At two years of age, she already weave better magic than most Sisters. I can't unravel her barrier. That's the simple truth." (Carlotta)

"I want Mother!!!" (Liara)

"Forcing her out will just scare her more. This poor girl has been through a lot. Let's just wait for Serina to arrive. Her wound is not life threatening after all." (Bella)

"Sister Serina is here." (Guard B)

*rush* "Liara! Are you alright?" (Serina)

"Mother!!!" (Liara)

"We'll have to investigate, but it seems Thomen, a Knight trainee, tried to kill Liara. She weaved a remarkable barrier to defend herself" (Bella)

"You weaved this barrier, Liara?" *touch* (Serina)

*nod* (Liara)

"That's incredible, my sweet child! But you don't need it anymore. I'll protect you." (Serina)

*nod* (Liara)

This will do. My barrier unravels. As i will it.

(Liara)

*hug* (Serina)

"Here, let me take care of your wounds." (Serina)

(Serina)

Offering

Location: Forbidden City

Time: Y0000 / 29th day of the Fire Moon

*ding* *ding* *ding* (Bells)

[I am The Shaman. Every able Rat Kin is to search the city for whatever scrap of food or gold they can find and bring it to the Dragon plaza at once. It's Their will. Our survival is at stake. Please, comply and we will endure. As always.] (Shaman)

The Shaman is the only living Rat Kin able to share her thoughts with magic. She is a respected figure. Many know how much she sacrificed to become Shaman. When she says something, few would doubt her words have anything but the best interests of the tribe in mind.

"Mother. What do we do?" (Rat Kin Youth A)

"We do as the Shaman says, my child. Let's take our food to the surface. You too, my children. Take something and follow me." (Shi'Shi)

"But I'm hungry!" (Rat Kin Youth B)

"I know, my child. I am too." (Shi'Shi)

Shi'Shi and her litter of ten lived in a small cave on the wall of a small branch canyon of the Forbidden City. She wasn't poor for the standards of the tribe, but still they often suffered from hunger. And always. Always lived under the fear for Their rule.

They often asked for unreasonable things from the Rat Kins.

Many die every time, but most live. And the tribe endures. Just yesterday, one of Them was hunting Rat Kins for sport. Shi'Shi survived only because another was eaten in her place. This time, they were asked to part with their precious food.

Since Rat Kin have fur, most don't wear clothes. Fabric is an expensive luxury item. Shi'Shi fixed rags for a living, so she and her litter packed what little they had inside backpacks made of rags she had laying around and left their now empty cave.

"So many! It will take hours to arrive!" (Shi'Shi)

The stairs and passageways were small, and only a few could pass at any given time. Right now the whole canyon was dotted with Rat Kins trying to reach the surface. Most didn't have means to hold their belonging, so they were carrying by hands.

"Look! it's Them!!!" (Rat Kin Youth C)

"I'm scared!!!" (Rat Kin Youth D)

"Now, now. They just want food. And we are bringing it to them. We'll be fine." (Shi'Shi)

They could see only a small portion of the sky, but there were dozens of Dragons flying above their head. Terrifying.

The Rat Kin built wooden lift, but there was only few of them. The Rat Kin without backpacks could only wait for a lift to stop at their level. Long queues formed. Shi'Shi was amongst the lucky ones.

Finally Shi'Shi arrived at the surface. There were long queues with small mountains of food accumulating. Once her turn arrived, she and her litter unloaded the content of their backpack and joined another line. When she asked where they where all going the answer was simple.

"She will soon awake. We all need to be there." (Rat Kin Guard)

Shivers went down Shi'Shi spine as she and her litter joined to long procession for the Dragon Plaza.