Two and One: Chapter 6

 "Laira?" Hope called, her voice shaking.

The growling grew louder, and the bushes nearby rustled.

"Laira?"

Something emerged from the bushes. A huge, black creature, its body covered in spines. Its eyes were red and burning, and its teeth were long and sharp.

It was a demon.

"Laira!"

The demon lunged at her, and Hope screamed, raising her hand and focusing her magic. She had no time to worry about the chaotic effects the demon invasion had on magic, only she needed to blast this demon to bits before it savagely attacked her!

She unleashed a powerful blast of magical energy, sending the demon flying back. The trees nearby were raked with lightning, setting them afire and cutting the smaller ones clean in half! The demon roared in pain, its body smoking. It howled in pain, bled from a large gaping wound, and stared at her with vile hate in its eyes.

Hope backed up, fear gripping her. She wasn't used to this.

Demons weren't supposed to exist. They were the stuff of legends and stories.

This wasn't a legend or a story.

Her hand still glowed inside from the magic, and she felt she was unable to control what would happen next now that she channeled the power of pure lightning.

This wasn't magic.

This was pure, unbridled, power.

And it terrified her.

The demon stalked towards her, its body still smoking.

Hope raised her hands, ready to attack again, but the demon stopped, sniffing the air.

Then, it turned and ran.

"Laira!"

"I'm here," a voice called.

Laira ran out of the forest, carrying a bag of food and a blanket. "Was that a demon?"

"Yes," Hope replied, her heart pounding.

"You drove it off!"

"I wounded it," Hope said, gasping for breath, trying to shake off the unnatural glow inside her right hand. "It will be back with others."

Laira grabbed her arm. "We have to run."

"Run where?" Hope asked.

"Just follow me."

Laira dragged her through the forest.

"Where are we going?" Hope asked.

"Away from here," Laira said.

"What did you get?"

"Food, a blanket, a knife," Laira said, panting as she ran.

"Did you see a demon?"

"I saw it running," Laira replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Are you?"

"No," Laira said. "Come, we are not far."

Laira and Hope raced through the forest, and the sky above grew darker.

"There!" Laira shouted, and she pointed.

Hope saw it. A tall, white tree, standing in the middle of the forest.

"A white oak tree!" Laira exclaimed. "It is huge!"

"How did you know it was here?" Hope asked.

"I felt its power," Laira said. "There is a hollow under the tree, and we can hide in there."

Laira led her to the roots and cleared moss from a dirt cave under the tree's roots. She pushed the blanket of food inside and helped Hope slide into the dark hole.

"This will protect us," Laira said, following her sister.

The sisters crawled into the dirt cave, and the darkness enveloped them.

"Are you sure?" Hope asked.

"Yes," Laira said, waving her hand and producing light. They were in a space under the tree's massive roots, a cave sheltered from the outside world, and safe.

For now.

"How did you do that?" Hope asked.

"I was blessed by the tree," Laira said. "My powers have increased. I can see more, feel more. And, I can produce light."

"That is amazing," Hope said.

"And you were able to drive off a demon. Your powers have grown as well."

"But my magic is still chaotic," Hope said. "I don't know what will happen when I try to cast a spell. For that matter, you don't either. The veil between the worlds is breaking, and not even the divine is predictable."

"Maybe not," Laira said. "But I know one thing. You are powerful, sister. You have more magic than any mage I have ever seen. And that is saying something."

"I'm scared," Hope said.

"So am I," Laira said. "But we are in this together. We can do this. I believe in you."

Hope looked at her sister. "Do you think we can stop the demons?"

"We can try," Laira said.

"It seems impossible," Hope said.

"Nothing is impossible," Laira said. "Remember that. And no matter what, we will stay together. Okay?"

"Okay," Hope said.

They sat in the darkness, listening to the sounds of the forest. The sky grew darker, and the storm clouds grew thicker.

"I miss him," Hope said.

Laira nodded. "While Grakdar was an orc, he understood we needed to work together to survive. I feel bad we lost him."

"I do too," Hope said. "He didn't deserve to die like that. It is not right."

"No, it isn't," Laira said.

They sat quietly for a moment.

"Are you hungry?" Laira asked.

"Starving," Hope replied.

Laira opened the bag and took out some fruit.

"Here," she said, handing a piece to her sister.

Hope bit into it, and the sweet juice filled her mouth.

"It is good," she said, and Laira smiled.

"We will be okay," Laira said.

"We have each other," Hope said. "Where do we go? What do we do? Do we try to fight the demons or find somewhere safe?"

"We can't run forever," Laira said. "At some point, we have to fight."

"But, how? We are just two elves."

"And you are a mage," Laira said. "And I am a priestess. We have great power."

"Two," Hope said, "against an invasion of the world."

"We will find a way," Laira said.

Hope sighed, "I hope so. Because I am scared. And I want to be safe."

"We will be," Laira said, smiling at her.

Hope finished her fruit and wiped her mouth. "I want to kill every single demon in the world."

"As do I," Laira said.

"Then, we have to find a way," Hope said. "Let's rest, and then we can head back in the direction of the road. We passed through the town of Riverton before our coach was attacked, perhaps we could find the town and be safe there."

Laira sighed. "What if the demons have sacked the town and killed everyone?"

"Then, we will find a way to make the demons pay," Hope said, a new sense of purpose filling her.

The two elves settled down for the night, and the storm raged overhead.

They would survive.

They would fight.

Hope woke up, her head on her sister's shoulder. "Laira, wake up. It is still dark outside but it feels like morning."

"I'm up," Laira said.

Hope crawled out of the cave and stretched.

"What do you think?" she asked, looking at the dark sky.

"It is too early to tell," Laira said.

Hope nodded. "I think we should go."

"You're right," Laira said, yawning.

Hope looked at her, and then at the darkness. "This is all the light we are getting. Let's move towards the hills, there are hills near Riverton."

"Alright," Laira said. "Which way is that?"

Hope pointed, and they started walking.

The storm clouds above them grew darker, and the forest seemed to get thicker.

"Be alert," Laira said. "The demons are near."

Hope nodded, and they continued on.

The forest was quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps.

Hope could feel the tension growing in the air, and her heart pounded in her chest.

She was scared, but she knew she had to be brave.

"Stay close," Laira whispered, and they kept moving.

The trees around them began to glow with an eerie light, and the wind picked up.

Hope heard the sound of branches snapping, and she froze.

"What is that?" she whispered.

Laira shook her head, and they stopped, listening.

The sound grew louder, and Hope gasped.

A group of demons came crashing through the forest, their eyes glowing with fire.

"Run!" Laira shouted, and she grabbed Hope's hand, and they ran.

The demons gave chase, their screams echoing through the forest.

"Faster!" Laira shouted, and they sprinted ahead, their legs pumping.

Hope pointed at a large river ahead of them. "Water! The river! If we do not find a way across we are dead!"

Laira nodded, and they ran to the river.

The current was fast, and the water was cold.

"Hold on to me!" Laira yelled, and they jumped in.

The water was icy, and Hope struggled to keep her head above the surface.

"Stay with me!" Laira shouted, and they fought against the current.

"There's a rock!" Hope yelled, and she reached for it.

Laira grabbed it, and they held on. The demons kept out of the water on the other side, hissing and growling, but not daring to enter.

Hope coughed. "Why aren't they chasing us?"

Laira held onto the rock. "No water in their realm. They probably don't know what this is."

Hope pulled herself up on the rock. "Can we cross the river?"

Laira looked at her. "Do you have the energy to swim?"

"I can try," Hope said.

Laira nodded, and they swam across the river.

The current was strong, and they struggled to keep their heads above the water.

"Keep swimming!" Laira shouted, and they made it to the other side.

Hope climbed out of the river and fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

Laira knelt beside her. "You okay?"

Hope nodded, panting.

Laira smiled and looked at the demons. She shouted. "Learn to swim!"

Hope pointed down the river at a log bridge and a large group of demons clambering across.