Seris made her way through the long overgrown grassy field. The closer she got to the massive city, the more confused she became.
As she took her first steps into the modern world, her breath caught in her chest.
Carriages without horses flew by, honking what sounded like horns at each other. Lights that hung above the road changed color, going from green to yellow and red. Crowds of people wearing clothing she had never dreamed of, wandered past her without sparing a glance. Their eyes were fixated on some type of device in their hands.
Looking at various windows around her, she saw weird statues wearing clothing that was considered fashionable. There were odd boxes showing moving pictures and overhead a large, thunderous roar turned her eyes skyward. Mouth slightly open in wonder, she saw a large object with wings flying high above her.
Her head began to spin as her breathing spiraled out of control.
"This isn't my world," became a mantra that she silently chanted as she backed into a brick wall. The solid surface of the wall offered little comfort as the modern age of technology assaulted her mind.
She was a stranger in a strange land, wearing an old black tunic covered in dirt. The fact that no one even noticed her was a miracle at this point.
"Think, focus."
Closing her eyes helped as she concentrated on her breathing.
"It's okay, everything is okay, you can figure this out. No big deal."
She knew that was a lie as soon as the thought entered her head.
A sudden outbreak of people screaming broke through her mounting anxiety.
Her eyes snapped open as people dropped what they were carrying and ran for their lives. Panic erupted around her as chaos replaced order.
***
"Hold the damn line!"
Four sorcerers did their best to hold back the sudden hoard of demons that had appeared in the city. This was a far larger incursion than the previous ones, making them not only nervous but on the edge of sheer panic. Every incursion seemed to be bigger, stronger than the last. The sorcerers all wondered the same thing, 'how long before an army arrives?'
The four people made a series of hand gestures which produced a dazzling array of magical spells. Lightning, fire, and frost flew towards the oncoming hoard, catching a few of them but failing to slow down the rest. The demons just trampled over their fallen comrades, hunger clear in their mix of red and black eyes.
"How long before the backup arrives?"
"Not coming, another incursion broke out."
"We're already spread too damn thin!"
The four gritted their teeth as they all made a split second decision. They couldn't save everyone but they could buy enough time for many of them to escape. A noble sacrifice.
"It's been an honor fighting alongside you."
***
Erin felt like today was the luckiest day of his life. He had struggled to find a story worth covering, something that would prove to his new bosses that he was a journalist worth the money.
The pressure for a young, recently graduated amateur was immense. Today though, the weight of that invisible stress lifted slightly from his thin shoulders.
He quickly pulled out his phone, hitting the record button with fumbling sweaty fingers.
He watched as the four sorcerers in front of him fought with everything they had to stop the oncoming surge of demonic monsters.
"So cool, I'm getting a huge promotion and bonus, I just know it!"
Erin was so absorbed in trying to capture every moment of this harrowing battle that he failed to notice the demons creeping up behind him.
Erin was a normal human, like most of the population, which meant that he couldn't tap into mana. Since he had no innate ability to channel mana that of course meant he couldn't cast spells. He was the perfect unsuspecting meal, helpless and oblivious.
The only clue that something was going horribly wrong behind him came from the sudden splash of demon blood that covered him.
Sputtering in shock with his camera still held in front of him, he saw a thin but athletic woman in a weird cosplay tunic walk by. Her snowy white hair and shockingly blue eyes stood out the most though.
"What just happened?" Erin stammered out, still trying to process the fact that he was now covered in ichor.
"I saved your life, pay attention next time."
The woman stood there with her back turned towards him. She was studying the fight in front of her, muttering to herself;
"Sorcerers still exist then, that at least remains familiar."
Erin nervously walked forward, keeping the camera pointed at the odd woman who had apparently saved his life. He refused to look at the carnage behind him.
"Sorry, I didn't get your name, mine is Erin. I'm a journalist with the Emerald Tablet."
"I have no idea what you just said."
The woman shook her head, still watching the battle like a hawk. Indecision was splayed out across her face. Part of her wanted to sit back, see what would happen. Surely these four could stop a rampage like this right?
The more she watched them though, the deeper her concern became. These sorcerers were giving everything they had but they were growing tired as they exhausted their limited supplies of mana. It was only a matter of time before the demons overwhelmed them, ending them and any hope this city had of being saved.
Seris made her choice.
***
"I'm running out of steam here, my mana is almost used up. I can barely move."
The sorcerers grunted as their stiff, sore bodies protested against them. They wouldn't give up though, too many lives depended upon them. Since only a small fraction of the human population could access mana, that meant that they had a sacred duty to protect the rest of humanity. To use their abilities to bring order to chaos, to be a shield against the forces of evil.
One of the sorcerers fell to her knees, gasping for breath as she struggled to rise. It was no good, she was too exhausted. She simply watched with silent acceptance as death came for her.
An explosion ripped through the area, spraying chunks of pavement and dirt everywhere. Windows shattered as the earth buckled.
The sorcerers watched with jaws dropped, as a woman moved through the group that had been attacking them.
She was fast, impossibly fast, as she attacked the monsters.
Every fist that connected and every kick that landed produced a shockwave that seemed to shake the very foundations of the city.
Power and strength, the likes of which these sorcerers had never seen before, was used without mercy.
Demons were pulverized into the street, thrown through buildings, and even cut in half with invisible blades.
"How is this even possible?"
"I don't know. She looks human but she can't be with that kind of magic."
"She isn't a member of the order, that's a fact."
"Doesn't matter, she saved our lives."
Within minutes the hoard was devastated as dozens of broken demonic bodies lay strewn about the area.
The woman wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.
"Who are you?"
"What she meant to say is thank you. We were sitting ducks."
The woman fixed them with a curious stare, as if she was evaluating them from head to toe.
"Why are you so weak?"
The sorcerers gave her a horrified look that bordered on comical at her blunt question.
The sound of someone running broke through the uncomfortable moment as a man with a cellphone appeared. He was drenched in blood but wearing a smile that reminded the sorcerers of a kid who just got a new toy.
"Holy hell that was amazing! The way you just moved, it was like you were teleporting then BAM!"
The excited man punched the air as the group stared at him in silence.
"You have to let me interview you, no wait! Even better, I'll be your official biographer. Think of the journalism awards I could win if I detail every battle and experience that you have in life. I'll be famous and rich!"
The woman put her hands on her hips, fixing the man who looked roughly the same age as her with a blank stare.
"Are you some kind of bard or poet? I'm not interested, Theric."
The man looked like someone had taken his balloon and punctured it with a needle.
The woman started to walk away, eyes scanning continuously around her.
"Hey wait! You need to come with us to the local HQ. You need to give a report of this and we need to find out who you are."
"Actually, I'm kinda busy. Besides, given what I have just witnessed, I'm almost positive that your order has nothing that will impress or interest me."
The four sorcerers hung their heads in shame at the scolding the woman gave them. She was right though, they were steadily growing fewer in number and the whispers of a coming invasion grew louder with each passing day.
The woman set off, eager to understand her surroundings while Erin jogged to keep up with her, his phone clicking away as he took dozens of photographs. He was determined to capture this woman's story, she was literally history in action walking down the boulevard.