She was getting close now and as the red-headed mage darted through the forest, it was tough to keep her excitement and adrenaline from taking over. It would be her first mission as a member of the guild and although she’d gotten into many hairy situations in the past, it just felt a little more magical as a member of the trading company. The teenager knew that things were more than likely going to end up resulting in a fight but Sienna was hoping that things wouldn’t take too dark a turn. The plan was that she’d even talk them down or if that failed, beat them in a fight and cause them to surrender to her. It wasn’t a complicated method but one that would hopefully work nonetheless. The men that she was chasing were kidnappers, after all, not serial killers and that was what she was banking on, in order for her scheme to work.
To her surprise though, it was the sound of combat that reached her ears as she approached the kidnappers base and as she reached the edge of the forest, the girl would briefly pause and watch what was happening. It would appear that the base already had a visitor and Sienna’s eyebrows almost vanished into her hair as she spied on the figures in front of her. Someone had beaten her to the base and the camp was littered with members of the gang, moaning and groaning in pain. Somewhat alarmed and perhaps against her better judgement, the mage would quickly move out from her hiding spot and quickly sneak over to the closest member of the gang.
“What’s going on?” she asked, a frown crossing her features as she looked over the male’s wounds. They looked like they were caused by some kind of large weapon and he was lucky to still be breathing, judging by the size of the cuts. “You guys look like you’ve just been attacked by a wild animal or something. Here, let me see those wounds.”
“Get the hell out of here!” the male spat, turning his gaze towards her, his brown eyes blazing with wrath and anger, “It was you who set that thing on us, wasn’t it? You caused that rampaging monster to come in here and beat us half to death and now you expect me to believe that you’ve come to help? Go to hell!”
“I came to stop you but I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sienna replied, slightly upset by the viciousness of his words although she was able to hide her feelings, “Summoning monsters is beyond me so you’ve got that all wrong. I’m Sienna, hired to put an end to your kidnapping spree but I’ve no intention of killing anyone, I just want you guys to give this horrible practice up.”
“I am not a monster, thank you very much,” a voice called out from behind the pair, causing both the mage and the wounded man to turn their gazes in the voice’s direction. Standing in front of them was a tall woman or at least, the mage thought she was a woman. Clad in a green dress made of leaves, with lovely light brown hair and eyes that matched her dress was the supposed monster. The mage certainly wouldn’t call her that and if it wasn’t for the woman’s beautiful green and red horns, plus the large axe she was wielding, Sienna wouldn’t call her threatening at all. “I am Taurus, one of the twelve Zodiac and what I have done here was put pay to a group of criminals. No more, no less. If you have come to defend these men then I will have to do the same to you, woman. I have little tolerance for those who break the law.
Sienna took a moment to think, before standing up and facing the spirit head on or as close as could get. Taurus was tall, to say the least and the redhead would guess that she stood somewhere between seven and eight feet tall. “I mean you no harm, Taurus and as you probably heard, my task was to bring these men back and hand them over to the authorities so are goals aren't that different. All I ask is that you stop your attack now as you’ve done more than enough to stop this madness. There’s no need for further bloodshed and these men are in no state to defend themselves now. I’m sure that you can return home now, knowing you’ve done your job.”
“My job is not done,” Taurus answered, looking down one the wounded kidnapper, “These men took my summoner and yet after I rescued her, she threw me aside and ripped up our contract. A failure, that was what she called me, for not being able to stop her from being captured in the first place. She wounded my pride more than you could imagine, woman and I am now destined to walk alone on this earth. So, I will do what is necessary and try to atone for my mistake by ridding the land of those who hurt others.”
It was a sad story to have to hear and Sienna sighed briefly and shook her head, “I’m sorry for what she did to you but killing these men isn’t going to ease the pain. You need to come to terms with what’s happened and try to move on. The fact that she tore up your contract just proves that she wasn’t worthy of you, Taurus and you deserve better than her. Stopping those with evil intentions is a noble cause but don’t let yourself become what you seek to destroy. You’ll only lose yourself in the process.”
The spirit tilted her head and seemed to process the information, before a small smile would cross her face, “You are wise for one so young and you are probably right. Yet, I am uncertain as to what I am to do now. Without a moral guide and center, I am simply a raging vagabond travelling the land and the longer I remain in this world, the more likely that I am going to give in to my rage. I respect your methods and I appreciate the sentiment but I am not sure that I can become what you seem to think I can be.”
“Then let me be your center and perhaps together, we can work towards getting you there,” the mage said without thinking, wishing deeply to help this spirit as much as she could. “I’m not sure if I’m even capable of summoning but if you instruct me then perhaps we can find out.”
Taurus looked taken aback by the offer but before she could respond, a rustling would appear from the forest behind them and a group of kidnappers would emerge, wielding various types of weapons and magics. Turning quickly to Sienna, the horned woman simply said, “It seems that we will have to discuss this later. I trust that you can handle a few of these men?”
“Oh yeah, don’t worry about that,” Sienna quipped, before shouting, “Flare!” She’d become engulfed with flame as her full takeover came into effect and when she re-emerged, the girl would be wearing a red and yellow jacket, with matching hair. She would also gain a pair of cat like ears and tail to complete her ensemble. “Alright, I’m ready,” she’d say happily, ready to scrap.
The camp soon became covered by even more aching bodies as the spirit and mage went about their work, carving through their enemies with axe and flame. Taurus wielded the large weapon with such strength that she was able to batter three or four foes away with each swing. She was immensely strong and Sienna was impressive to say the least. As for herself, the mage would unleash her various fire techniques in order to batter her opponents down to size. She never used lethal force but did enough to leave her opponents feeling a little crispy. It wasn’t a fair fight to be honest and the duo were far stronger but that wasn’t the point. Sometimes a battle was the best way for trust to be earned between people and that seemed to be the case here. The fight didn’t last too long and with a meteor attack from the mage striking the final three members, it came to a close. Not one death thankfully but none of the kidnappers were in any state to continue.
Moving quickly, Taurus and Sienna would quickly move around the camp, dragging and carrying the group members so that they were all together, before quickly binding them so that they’d no longer be a threat. They weren’t treated too roughly although Taurus was rather firm with her knots, much to the gangs chagrin. When it was all said and done, there must of been at least 20 to 30 men laying there, all bundled up and ready to be brought in. Making a short call on her phone, Sienna would get in contact with the local law, who would soon arrive and begin taking the criminals away, as well as helping the remainder of the captives return home. It was a morale booster for both the mage and spirit to see everything end on such a high note although it did leave the two with one last piece of business to take care of.
“So, what happens now? To you I mean?” Sienna asked, sitting side by side with the spirit, not wanting to push the beautiful horned woman into a decision too strongly.
“After watching you fight and getting a feel for your magical power, I believe that you are more than capable of summoning us,” Taurus replied with a small smile, “You see, I think that those dresses that you wear during combat are actually the attire of some of the spirits of the spiritual world. You are already using the powers of my world without knowing it and I am sure that you will make a fine summoner. In fact, I would imagine that there are already more than a few spirits who would like to make a contract with you.”
“I’m flattered,” Sienna answered, her face briefly reddening, “I’d be more than happy to make friends with as many spirits as possible and I look forward to working with you all.”
“In that case, allow me to open the doorway for you,” the tall spirit answered, outstretching her hand, which the mage gently took. The moment their hands touched, an immense amount of magical energy would burst from both of them and when it finally faded away, Sienna would find herself alone, a beautiful key left behind in her hand. “You now have the power to summon me at will,” the spirit’s voice would say in the mage’s mind, “I hope that together, we will accomplish much and make a difference. Thank you for giving me the chance to return home and to let me take my place as a zodiac spirit once again. I will remember this always, Sienna.”
Smiling softly, the newest summoner would simply sit for quite some time, thinking back over the days events. She’d made a new ally, discovered a new magic and completed her task. What more could she possibly have hoped for when she’d left the guild that morning? There was much still left to do of course and as she glanced down at the key for a few moments, she couldn’t help but wonder just what other spirits were out there, waiting for the chance to make a contract with her and to join her hopefully soon to be growing group. The redhead had never thought of herself as a leader before but she supposed it was something that she’d have to get used to, not just for her sake but for her new friends as well.
For now at least, she took a great deal of pride and happiness at having been able to make her first contract, hopefully a contract that would last for a long, long time.
(2026 Words)
To her surprise though, it was the sound of combat that reached her ears as she approached the kidnappers base and as she reached the edge of the forest, the girl would briefly pause and watch what was happening. It would appear that the base already had a visitor and Sienna’s eyebrows almost vanished into her hair as she spied on the figures in front of her. Someone had beaten her to the base and the camp was littered with members of the gang, moaning and groaning in pain. Somewhat alarmed and perhaps against her better judgement, the mage would quickly move out from her hiding spot and quickly sneak over to the closest member of the gang.
“What’s going on?” she asked, a frown crossing her features as she looked over the male’s wounds. They looked like they were caused by some kind of large weapon and he was lucky to still be breathing, judging by the size of the cuts. “You guys look like you’ve just been attacked by a wild animal or something. Here, let me see those wounds.”
“Get the hell out of here!” the male spat, turning his gaze towards her, his brown eyes blazing with wrath and anger, “It was you who set that thing on us, wasn’t it? You caused that rampaging monster to come in here and beat us half to death and now you expect me to believe that you’ve come to help? Go to hell!”
“I came to stop you but I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sienna replied, slightly upset by the viciousness of his words although she was able to hide her feelings, “Summoning monsters is beyond me so you’ve got that all wrong. I’m Sienna, hired to put an end to your kidnapping spree but I’ve no intention of killing anyone, I just want you guys to give this horrible practice up.”
“I am not a monster, thank you very much,” a voice called out from behind the pair, causing both the mage and the wounded man to turn their gazes in the voice’s direction. Standing in front of them was a tall woman or at least, the mage thought she was a woman. Clad in a green dress made of leaves, with lovely light brown hair and eyes that matched her dress was the supposed monster. The mage certainly wouldn’t call her that and if it wasn’t for the woman’s beautiful green and red horns, plus the large axe she was wielding, Sienna wouldn’t call her threatening at all. “I am Taurus, one of the twelve Zodiac and what I have done here was put pay to a group of criminals. No more, no less. If you have come to defend these men then I will have to do the same to you, woman. I have little tolerance for those who break the law.
Sienna took a moment to think, before standing up and facing the spirit head on or as close as could get. Taurus was tall, to say the least and the redhead would guess that she stood somewhere between seven and eight feet tall. “I mean you no harm, Taurus and as you probably heard, my task was to bring these men back and hand them over to the authorities so are goals aren't that different. All I ask is that you stop your attack now as you’ve done more than enough to stop this madness. There’s no need for further bloodshed and these men are in no state to defend themselves now. I’m sure that you can return home now, knowing you’ve done your job.”
“My job is not done,” Taurus answered, looking down one the wounded kidnapper, “These men took my summoner and yet after I rescued her, she threw me aside and ripped up our contract. A failure, that was what she called me, for not being able to stop her from being captured in the first place. She wounded my pride more than you could imagine, woman and I am now destined to walk alone on this earth. So, I will do what is necessary and try to atone for my mistake by ridding the land of those who hurt others.”
It was a sad story to have to hear and Sienna sighed briefly and shook her head, “I’m sorry for what she did to you but killing these men isn’t going to ease the pain. You need to come to terms with what’s happened and try to move on. The fact that she tore up your contract just proves that she wasn’t worthy of you, Taurus and you deserve better than her. Stopping those with evil intentions is a noble cause but don’t let yourself become what you seek to destroy. You’ll only lose yourself in the process.”
The spirit tilted her head and seemed to process the information, before a small smile would cross her face, “You are wise for one so young and you are probably right. Yet, I am uncertain as to what I am to do now. Without a moral guide and center, I am simply a raging vagabond travelling the land and the longer I remain in this world, the more likely that I am going to give in to my rage. I respect your methods and I appreciate the sentiment but I am not sure that I can become what you seem to think I can be.”
“Then let me be your center and perhaps together, we can work towards getting you there,” the mage said without thinking, wishing deeply to help this spirit as much as she could. “I’m not sure if I’m even capable of summoning but if you instruct me then perhaps we can find out.”
Taurus looked taken aback by the offer but before she could respond, a rustling would appear from the forest behind them and a group of kidnappers would emerge, wielding various types of weapons and magics. Turning quickly to Sienna, the horned woman simply said, “It seems that we will have to discuss this later. I trust that you can handle a few of these men?”
“Oh yeah, don’t worry about that,” Sienna quipped, before shouting, “Flare!” She’d become engulfed with flame as her full takeover came into effect and when she re-emerged, the girl would be wearing a red and yellow jacket, with matching hair. She would also gain a pair of cat like ears and tail to complete her ensemble. “Alright, I’m ready,” she’d say happily, ready to scrap.
The camp soon became covered by even more aching bodies as the spirit and mage went about their work, carving through their enemies with axe and flame. Taurus wielded the large weapon with such strength that she was able to batter three or four foes away with each swing. She was immensely strong and Sienna was impressive to say the least. As for herself, the mage would unleash her various fire techniques in order to batter her opponents down to size. She never used lethal force but did enough to leave her opponents feeling a little crispy. It wasn’t a fair fight to be honest and the duo were far stronger but that wasn’t the point. Sometimes a battle was the best way for trust to be earned between people and that seemed to be the case here. The fight didn’t last too long and with a meteor attack from the mage striking the final three members, it came to a close. Not one death thankfully but none of the kidnappers were in any state to continue.
Moving quickly, Taurus and Sienna would quickly move around the camp, dragging and carrying the group members so that they were all together, before quickly binding them so that they’d no longer be a threat. They weren’t treated too roughly although Taurus was rather firm with her knots, much to the gangs chagrin. When it was all said and done, there must of been at least 20 to 30 men laying there, all bundled up and ready to be brought in. Making a short call on her phone, Sienna would get in contact with the local law, who would soon arrive and begin taking the criminals away, as well as helping the remainder of the captives return home. It was a morale booster for both the mage and spirit to see everything end on such a high note although it did leave the two with one last piece of business to take care of.
“So, what happens now? To you I mean?” Sienna asked, sitting side by side with the spirit, not wanting to push the beautiful horned woman into a decision too strongly.
“After watching you fight and getting a feel for your magical power, I believe that you are more than capable of summoning us,” Taurus replied with a small smile, “You see, I think that those dresses that you wear during combat are actually the attire of some of the spirits of the spiritual world. You are already using the powers of my world without knowing it and I am sure that you will make a fine summoner. In fact, I would imagine that there are already more than a few spirits who would like to make a contract with you.”
“I’m flattered,” Sienna answered, her face briefly reddening, “I’d be more than happy to make friends with as many spirits as possible and I look forward to working with you all.”
“In that case, allow me to open the doorway for you,” the tall spirit answered, outstretching her hand, which the mage gently took. The moment their hands touched, an immense amount of magical energy would burst from both of them and when it finally faded away, Sienna would find herself alone, a beautiful key left behind in her hand. “You now have the power to summon me at will,” the spirit’s voice would say in the mage’s mind, “I hope that together, we will accomplish much and make a difference. Thank you for giving me the chance to return home and to let me take my place as a zodiac spirit once again. I will remember this always, Sienna.”
Smiling softly, the newest summoner would simply sit for quite some time, thinking back over the days events. She’d made a new ally, discovered a new magic and completed her task. What more could she possibly have hoped for when she’d left the guild that morning? There was much still left to do of course and as she glanced down at the key for a few moments, she couldn’t help but wonder just what other spirits were out there, waiting for the chance to make a contract with her and to join her hopefully soon to be growing group. The redhead had never thought of herself as a leader before but she supposed it was something that she’d have to get used to, not just for her sake but for her new friends as well.
For now at least, she took a great deal of pride and happiness at having been able to make her first contract, hopefully a contract that would last for a long, long time.
(2026 Words)
