Faye was quick with her movements as she weaved in and out of the trees in Groken. She wasn't alone; other spirit healers from the Bayous had come with her, a team one could say.
She landed on a branch and looked out, the others doing the same. Not much further now, but the sky was getting darker and cracking due sudden release of magae.
The priestess shook her head; it was so reckless of the witches to do whatever they did and for what? To have the pixies rounded up and sent to who knew where.
She looked at her comrades and pointed for them to continued onward. They managed to get to the tree-
SLAM!
Faye was knocked back by an opponent. She slid onto the ground, dust flying up. She looked at the woman before, with a smirk. She stood up straight.
"Bonjure, madame," she said to the woman.
"Why are you in our territory?" The woman asked. The woman had long hair, wavy with dark eyes and dark skin. A Canas native and when Faye looked around her, she saw other priestesses and priests from Canas.
"The rules states any priest or priestess can travel to the place where the threads have been torn," Faye said. "What matters is the fabric is stitched together again."
"I disagree..."
"Are we not all priest and priestesses?" Faye asked, her team standing behind her.
"No. See, here in Canas, our ancestors came via slavery; whereas your ancestors came due to a breach of contract with our friends on the other side." She stepped up to Faye, circling her. "You see, our friends from the other side came after those ancestors when they broke their end of the contract. They were pushed out to sea. The ones who made it to Nadia, survived. The ones who didn't make it to Nadia, joined their friends on the other side."
Faye looked at her team and then back at the woman. "So what's your point?" she asked.
The woman chuckled. "My point? You're trespassing."
Faye didn't see the hand signal, but the air snapped taut. Suddenly, the Canas priestesses and priest blurred into motion, silent wraiths closing in.
Faye dropped low as a vine-laced whip cracked overhead, slicing bark. Her own team scattered on instinct, boots scrabbling on dry leaves, their needles ready to work.
Dust kicked up, bitter and choking, as Faye rolled sideways, dodging a glowing sigil etched into the earth where she'd stood. Heat prickled her skin.
CLACK!
Their needles clashed.
Faye twisted, parrying the needle aimed for her ribs, the metallic shriek echoing off the trees. She pivoted on her heel, the dry earth crumbling beneath her boots.
A Canas priestess lunged, fingers clawed and crackling with emerald magae. Faye ducked, the unnatural heat singeing her braids, smelling faintly of ozone and burnt moss.
She drove her knee upward, connecting solidly with the woman's sternum, a muffled crunch, a gasp, the attacker stumbling back clutching her chest, eyes wide with shock and pain.
Faye placed the tip of her needle at the chin of the woman. "Now theres no need for all of this disviseness. We all hail from the same land and we all bleed red."
The Canas priestess got to her feet and turned her back toward the tree. The magae from it, ripping the sky open.
The two teams began to work together to try and stitch together the magae surrounding the tree and making the sky crack, weaving in and out their needles.
Faye moved in sync with the Canas priestess she'd just bested, their needles flashing silver and obsidian as they wove counter-spells into the air.
Where moments ago there had been hostility, now there was only focused, frantic purpose.
Silently, Faye's fingers flew alongside the Canas priestess's, their needles stitching shimmering threads of stabilizing magae into the roiling energy swirling around the ancient tree.
The air vibrated with the strain of the fracture above, a low, bone-deep that drowned all thought of past grievances. Sweat stung Faye's eyes, tasting sharp and salty on her lips.
Every pull of the needle sent jolts of resistance up her arm, the magae thick and viscous as molten glass, resisting containment.
Thump!
Each of the priestesses and priests began to land on the ground once they were done stitching their section of the tree. Their breaths short and erratic, due to just exhaustion.
Clap, clap, clap!
They turned to look at a witch walking their way. She had a hood over her head, until she uncovered herself. Faye stepped forward.
"Tany!"
"You're very beautiful, Faye," the witch said, clapping still at what they had done. "Sorry to disappoint you, but Imma have to undo what you just did."
And with that, she slammed her hand on the ground, green magae soared into the ground, traveling to the base of the tree, up the roots, branches, stems, and leaves. A lightning bolt shot up into the sky.
CRACK!
Just like the sound of a whip!
Faye charged at Tany.
Tany flicked her wrist, tendrils of green magae snapping from her fingertips like poisoned whips. Faye slid beneath them, the unnatural heat searing her fine black suit.
She rolled, dirt grinding into her palms, and sprang upward, a spear-kick aimed at Tany's jaw. Tany deflected it with a forearm crackling with energy, the impact jolting through Faye's heel like a hammer blow.
Faye flowed into a spinning backfist using her needle.
SLASH!
Metal whistling through the air, but Tany melted away, unnaturally fluid, reappearing inches behind her. Cold magae-laced fingers grazed Faye's neck, she dropped instantly, a crouching sweep of her leg forcing Tany to leap back.
"Do you think Sous is going to like you're fighting the mother of one of her children?"
"And how would Makala feel knowing you're fighting me, after you took away that scar from her face Daniel did."
"Tsk," Tany smacked her lips. "Too bad he died."
"Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say," Faye said.