The Unexpected Rescue

  A figure cloaked in a heavy mantle, with a hood partially obscuring their face, walked along the dirt road, their steps silent on the uneven ground. The mage, with sharpened senses and a supernatural ability to perceive the energies around her, felt a wave of residual power. Something strange and dark had occurred not far from where she stood.

  She stopped abruptly, focusing on the sensation that enveloped the air. A shroud of heavy energy, interrupted by something far more sinister, guided her toward a clearing illuminated by the cold moonlight. What she found was desolate.

  In the center of the clearing, two bodies lay on the ground. The first, a young man, was covered in blood. His left arm… or what remained of it, ended in a grotesque stump just below the shoulder. The mutilated flesh was mixed with fresh and dried blood, the bleeding stopped perhaps by sheer luck or a willpower the mage could barely comprehend. The boy was on the brink of death, but his weak, intermittent breaths still echoed in the stillness.

  Beside him, the young woman lay in what seemed like an arranged position, but still vulnerable. Her blonde hair was tangled, falling haphazardly across her face, partially hiding her delicate features now pale and marked by pain. The rest of her body was wrapped in a tattered cloak and a simple cloth, hastily placed over her but with an odd tenderness. These fabrics hid the purple bruises and deep cuts that ran across her skin, each mark a reminder of the suffering she had endured. The blood, already dried and coagulated, stained the cloth, but did not conceal the pain that still radiated from her body.

  She seemed completely exhausted, as if every bit of strength had been drained from her being, her muscles tense, her bones heavy. Her body was marked not only by physical wounds but also by the inner struggle she had fought to stay conscious. Her breathing was weak but steady, like a thread of life that refused to extinguish. Each sigh was a silent battle, a reflection of the quiet resistance against despair.

  The mage knelt first beside Hitory, drawn to the severity of his wound. She observed the deplorable state of the boy, and for a moment, she was speechless, surprised by the unusual resilience he still exhibited.

  — “This…” — she murmured, the perplexity evident in her voice. — “How is he still alive?”

  Conjuring a magical circle in the air, she cast healing spells, the glowing symbols unrolling around her hands, the magic flowing into Hitory’s wound with an intense golden light. But, to her shock, the magic disappeared upon touching his body, dissipating like water falling on a dry surface.

  — “Impossible…!” — she exclaimed, furrowing her brow. — “Something is blocking my magic.”

  Frustration washed over her for a moment, but she knew she couldn’t afford to waste any more time. She looked to the young woman beside her, her condition also critical, and refocused. She applied the same spell to her, watching as the girl’s wounds closed almost instantly. The young woman’s skin absorbed the magic like parched earth receiving its first rain after a relentless drought.

  — “Interesting… But you’re on the brink of collapse too.”

  Despite her frustration at being unable to heal Hitory, the mage knew she couldn’t leave them there. The weight of the situation forced her to act quickly. She rose with agility, casting a transportation spell. A radiant glow took form in the air, and slowly, a floating cart of light appeared, its luminous outlines pulsating like living stars in the night sky.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  The mage carefully lifted the young woman’s body, adjusting her to ensure she was comfortable. She then turned her attention to Hitory, her gaze fixed on the boy with the amputated arm. She felt the weight of the situation, not just physically, but emotionally. He had monstrous strength, surviving such a horrific injury and still being alive.

  — “Losing an arm... And still alive... Such strength…” — she murmured to herself as she carefully placed Hitory’s body into the floating cart, making sure to protect his injury.

  The cart began to move gently, floating away from the clearing, guided by ethereal shapes resembling animals. The mage walked alongside, casting one last look at the two young ones.

  — “There’s something special about you… Something even I can’t understand.”

  The forest, illuminated by the cart’s magical light, remained in a profound silence. The suffering and chaos that had engulfed the clearing slowly faded, being left behind as the two young ones were carried toward an uncertain fate.

  The Mage’s Refuge

  The mage’s refuge lay hidden in the heart of a dense forest, where sunlight rarely reached the ground, covered by a thick mantle of leaves and moss. The stone house, aged by centuries, seemed to have been built by time itself, its sturdy structure and ivy-covered walls giving it an air of mystery, almost as though it were alive.

  The sound of distant birds and the rustling of trees were the only noises that could be heard around. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of dried herbs, dust from old books, and a subtle hint of incense. The space was filled with rare and curious objects, such as bottles of vibrant liquids, shimmering crystals, and grimoires whose pages seemed to have aged with time. Everything was meticulously organized, but there was an undeniable feeling of constant research in the air, as if the mage was always searching for something, a lost knowledge, or perhaps a hidden power.

  When they arrived, the mage wasted no time. With a firm gesture, she levitated the bodies onto the sturdy wooden table, where she would begin her work. Hitory was visibly pale, blood still dripping from his wound despite the bleeding having slowed. He was unconscious, but his breathing showed slight irregularities, indicating that he wasn't entirely lost. The mage sighed deeply as she approached him, her eyes filled with growing frustration as she observed his condition. She began preparing a mixture of herbs and ointments, her hands working with precision. When she applied the salve to his severed arm, she furrowed her brow, noticing that his skin seemed to resist the healing, as if some kind of magical barrier was blocking the natural regeneration of his body.

  "This doesn't make sense," she murmured to herself, her sharp eyes studying the young warrior's body. Her magic wouldn't work on him; an invisible barrier seemed to repel any attempt at healing. She tried once more, conjuring magical symbols in the air, but the energy dissipated as soon as it touched the boy's flesh. Nothing seemed to work.

  Shifting her gaze to the young girl, who was lying on an improvised bed beside them, the mage noticed something peculiar. Unlike Hitory, the girl seemed to respond almost immediately to the healing. The wounds on her body closed slowly, and the paleness on her face began to fade, giving way to a healthy color. The mage watched closely, her mind racing for answers.

  She leaned in closer to the girl, her eyes fixed on the center of her chest, where a mark glowed faintly, a silvery, ethereal hue. The energy emanating from the mark seemed to pulse, almost as if it had a life of its own, radiating a strange and unknown force. The mage, a mix of fascination and caution in her movements, touched the mark with the tips of her fingers, feeling the lightness of the energy that almost danced beneath her skin. The girl's body shivered, as if she felt the mage's touch.

  "This... this isn't normal," the mage murmured, withdrawing her hand with care. She studied the girl with newfound understanding, her curiosity only deepening. She wasn't just a victim—perhaps she was someone much more important, someone whose energies might be beyond common understanding.

  With a sigh of frustration, the mage turned her gaze back to Hitory, still unconscious. He was so close, yet so far away. What was happening to him? What was happening to her? And more importantly, what was connecting these two young individuals in a web of mystery and power that she could not yet comprehend?

  She stood up, determined not to rest until the answers were found. Something deep and greater than anything she had ever known was about to be revealed. But to uncover it, she would need to understand what was happening with both of them. And that, she knew, would not be easy.

  End of EP 5 “The Weight of a Guardian”