The world spun, trees and sky and land twirling before her body crashed into dirt. Dust kicked up from impact flew into Talis' mouth as she grunted. She rolled onto her side with a groan and spit. Gritty saliva coated sparse grass that lay flat from their struggle.
"What in the hells, Nimara!?" The sage skinned fae was being extra rude today. Battering Talis this way and that.
"You're spoiled, whiny, soft, and weak." The other woman snarled down on her, ticking insults off her fingers. "You've spent your entire life frolicking in the flowers and sitting daintily in your little garden." Nimara had recently discovered that the witch and her older sister worked in herbalism. Loading their strange human magic into plants for all kinds of purposes. If that wasn't bad enough, a massive garden surrounded their home and it thrived in the arid climate. The herbs, flowers, bushes, and trees adored the witches. It had infuriated Nimara.
"You want to come with us but you can't even block a hit. It's pathetic."
"I'm trying!" Talis snapped with waspish sarcasm. "But have you ever considered that you might be a shitty teacher? Huh? Did that cross your puny grassy brain?"
The fae's lips pulled down, her dark eyes going flat while her ears pinned back. "Get up."
The witch gave her a ferocious look of her own, pushing herself onto her feet. Talis wiped the sweat from her brow and stomped over to retrieve the staff. It was the ugly gnarled stick grown through rings and knotted around a metal ball. Nimara had stolen it from the priest she killed when she had first entered midworld. An act of revenge or perhaps just a trophy. Whatever her reasoning may have been, the thing had unexpectedly come in hand.
Human magic was new to Nimara. They were dense energies to match the dense nature of the realm. Mediums and barriers were used to protect the wielder from their charges and searing natures. Staffs, swords, wands, curious mementos, talismans, jewelry, potions and salves. Any item of significance to the wielder could be used to funnel energy into and through. It was not a foreign concept to Nimara. Magical items of all forms could be purchased and utilized within the twilight realm. But to be entirely confined to the use of trinkets and weapons was prehistoric.
And apparently in their country weapons were not legally allowed to be had– beside some rounded and blunt spears kept by the domestic guards and those reserved for wartime. So Nimara had Talis practicing with the staff which sat in her hands oddly, its foreign wood emitting strange rings as the witch uneasily pushed her magic into it. Her legs were spread a little too wide and her arms shook as she held it out. Yet she had remained determined.
"Your posture is horrible," came another, even more infuriating, voice.
A familiar and sour energy shouldered past her as Yuen approached the witch. Off to the side from where he'd come stood Samhir, Mikhail, and three other women Nimara learned were, Idoni, Menia, and Amelia.
Talis, doey eyed, smiled at him sweetly as he corrected her posture, loosening her arms and planting her feet appropriately.
Nimara was beyond certain that some cruel cosmic joke was being played on her. It was sick.
In fact, this whole situation was beyond sickening.
The imperial prince had shown up nearly a week after the priests took Korin. A crash from outside had drawn the attention of Nimara, Samhir, and Talis who were having tea(flavored liquor) inside. They found the prince in a small fight with the demonborn who had been in the yard. At first Samhir just watched from the doorway, steady gaze apathetic. These days he looked more like his daughter than he ever had, dead eyed and expressionless. It was only when Talis suggested that they stop them, did Samhir exit the doorway with a sigh.
Laboring through an entire moon of arguing, yelling, contemplation, and begging- they were now a ragtag bickering team gathered in a little field preparing for a mission to save some overpowered being. Well the demonborn and his aunt(who would be departing once they reached the great continent), Samhir, herself, and for some reason–to Nimara's ever growing infinite displeasure– Talis. Yuen would have to go back to the empire for a short while. He would return as soon as possible and trail them. For now Mikhail and Samhir were waiting to give their testimonies to the Ipahnish high council. Then Mikhail's brother would meet them in Ichar with a ship to set course to the Provinces. The land of the Eenoans seemed like the most logical place to search.
Nimara looked at the witch and sighed. Her posture was better but she still wasn't pushing enough power into the staff. It looked childish compared to the energy she had watched the priest pump into it. A few swift steps forward and a juked hit had Talis on the ground all over again.
The old medicine woman was stepping forward, about to protest but Idoni held out a hand shaking her head. The older sister had been silent and stern faced all week, watching her younger sister get knocked over again and again.
.
"Nimara!" Yuen barked.
For the first two weeks he, her, and the demonborn had run searches across Ipahn. Desperate to find a trace of the woman. They ran through the mountains of the north east, pillaged through the sprawling towns of the high desert,and turned over the docks on the coastal ports. Mikhail had even run to the edge of the great border that separated the fertile, clean lands from the fetid waste of the dead zone. Looked through all the small communities of mutants in the Seene desert, traveled a thousand trails and they had left him feeling covered in plasmatic grimey scuz. Their search was fruitless. Not a clue from a dozen priestly bodies now decaying in the land. Even the plants did not see their location. So they'd all circled back to Imore, where the witch was waiting with a desire to join the search party.
"Yes, your highness?" She replied loudly, rolling her eyes.
"It has been clearly established that you are stronger than her. I commanded you to teach her, not to slam her into the dirt at every opportunity. Knock it off." The prince's voice cut through the air as his steely eyes turned to her.
"I don't know why you think it's a good idea to have her come along?!" Her features pinched in scrutiny and disdain. "You imprisoned me for this! Tapped bombs into my face! I'm good enough to find Korin on my own. I dont need her help. She'll only slow me down. "
Yuen scoffed, dry and full of judgment. He approached Nimara in a rapid blur. Fingers curled over her jaw, clenched in his hand and pulled her across the remaining steps between them. His voice dropped. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." He chided, leaning close. "You are indeed good enough to do this on your own, but don't fool yourself. I chose you because I don't respect you." He did not blink as she defiantly stared him down, ill will swimming in black irises. He dug his fingers into her inky tattooed cheeks harder and spoke unwavering, "I don't respect who you are or what you do. You are a killer, Nimara. I've estimated your body count. I know of your victims and your crimes."
Vehemence swelled in green skin turning it a deep jade. She went to retort and Yuen only squeezed harder as she opened her mouth. Cutting her off as her cheeks and tongue pressed into her sharpened teeth and drew blood. "Warriors kill for honor, safety, and liberation. Even among mercenaries and sellswords there is camaraderie and the collective effort of survival. Assassins sneak through the night slaying for capital. Faceless killers collecting blood money from elites. You are an honourless murderer, and I chose you because I would not feel bad throwing you into a pit of stakes."
There was a brief widening of her eyes, pupils beginning to dilate. Then the assassin doubled down. Eyebrows furrowing and her skin rippling in angry waves. She let out a sinister hiss. The only thing this man knew about her was the tales she weaved and the masks she wore. She contemplated if it would be worth it to let her serrated teeth shred through his hand. She wanted to see that smug arrogance ripped from his face as she tore apart his flesh.