Fan Fiction ❯ Vailla ❯ New fights ( Chapter 3 )

Vailla had cleaned the mess that had been made because of her and paid for the door that had been broken even though Madlien insisted that it wasn't necessary. She also paid Madlien a further twenty copper pieces to stay in the room for an extra three days but she did not ask for food, just to be alone. Madlien had tried to offer her free food but Vailla always told her that she wasn't hungry. Trigger was sat at the bar when Madlien came downstairs holding a tray of untouched food. "How is she?" Trigger asked.

"Being strangled and then performing magic like that has shaken her up a bit, she is very upset but she won't talk to me." Madlien answered sadly. "Maybe if you talk to her it might help." She suggested. Trigger thought about that for a while and then agreed that he would give it a go so he braced himself and went upstairs.

Vailla was sat talking to Hayley and her Staff when Trigger knocked the door. She was more careful now so she quickly grabbed her staff and slowly opened the door. "I'm sorry to bother you Vailla but I think we should talk." Trigger said after backing away from Vailla's Staff.

"Don't be stupid, I'm not going to hurt you. Come in." Vailla walked over to her bed and sat down and Trigger copied her.

"I know what happened has upset you, I mean it would upset anyone and I thought you might like to talk about it. Sometimes it helps." Trigger started.

"I get the feeling I've been building up to this my whole life, I just let it get to me the other night is all." She replied softly, and then her eyes hardened. "I can handle anything he throws at me." Vailla snapped in an unfriendly manner that told Trigger to be careful what he said and how he said it from now on.

"When we thought you were dead the other day I was very upset and angry. I haven't got any friends, except Madlien of course, and it hurt that my friend could be taken away from me. You're a nice girl Vailla and once you get past that hard shell you're just like any other human and you shouldn't be ashamed to be upset."

"The only thing I'm ashamed off is that I didn't kill that bastard and that he is stronger then I. But I won't let him get away, he won't get away for what he did." Her voice was calm but very cold.

"You said he was stronger then you didn't you? I know he tried to kill you and when I found you, you looked pretty dead to me so maybe he thought you were dead too. I couldn't bare the thought of losing you Vailla. Why don't you just lay low, that way is a lot safer then going to looking for this guy, he has beaten you before and he can do it again." Trigger suggested.

"Even if I could I wouldn't. That little lightshow the other night was my way of telling them that I would get them. The one that came to finish me off personally isn't too much trouble, in fact I'm pretty sure I killed him the other night, but my dad." She floundered a bit after that. "Err… I mean the other one is a different matter."

"Your dad? Is he the one behind this all?" Trigger asked fiercely. "I kill him!" He promised. Vailla couldn't help an ironic little laugh.

"Sure you could, if you were a wizard that devoted your whole life time studying magic." She replied sardonically. "Leave killing the wizards up to me."

"Wizards?" Trigger asked.

"That ass has a few other companions. Sorceresses and sorcerers use a staff to channel their magic, while wizards uses a poxy little stick that they call a wand. I'm not sure why he is after me since he is a sorcerer and has his own staff but I'm going to find out." She looked into Trigger's determined eyes and sighed. "Alone. You're in danger just by talking to me, I've lost people before and I don't want to lose my friend."

"Never. I've been in danger my whole life, I don't care if you add a little more danger but I will not let you face this wizard by yourself." Trigger declared.

"We'll see." She said simply. Trigger felt very uncomfortable after that, Vailla just sat there looking at Trigger with her own determination but Trigger did not waver. They sat in silence for about ten minutes when Vailla finally sighed and gave in. "Alright you can come with me to Laces like we have already agreed but like I said before as soon as we're in Laces we go separate ways. I'll protect you on the way there but I think Laces is going to be where the real danger starts so I don't want you around me then. Deal?" Trigger wasn't really happy about leaving her when the `real danger' started but he decided to agree for now.

"Alight, if that's what you want."

"Yes it is. I'm thirsty, what is the ale like in this place?" Vailla asked causally. Trigger was surprised at that and looked at Vailla a little lost for words. "Okay Trigger one word, Wrendore. Do you honestly think I would have survived a town like that without alcohol? I'm sure if fourteen year old girls can get absolutely plastered there they can do the same thing here."

"Madlien won't serve you." He warned.

"Maybe not, but I bet she will serve an older person. Now shall we go downstairs?" She put the dagger she was holding in her boot and picked up her Staff. "Shall we?"

Trigger had been wrong about Madlien; she did serve Vailla but only on the condition that she wouldn't drink too much. So she took her drink, paid the money and walked over to a table and drank. Trigger was talking to Madlien at the bar when a small weasel-like can scurried into the tavern. He was just about to walk past Vailla when he stopped and eyes her pleasantly. "Don't even think about it buddy." Vailla warned, not even bother to look up at him. She then bent over and took the dagger from her boot. "But you're welcome to try if you absolutely must."

"I have no idea what you mean ma'am. I thought you were someone I knew is all." He replied slyly. "How about if I buy you a drink to say sorry for the misunderstanding."

"How about you buy me two? I think that's fair considering the vile thought you had when you saw me." He looked a little shocked at that and soon recovered. Trigger was about to come over but Vailla shook her head so Trigger stayed away but stayed ready too jump in and help at anytime.

"Okay, two drinks it is. Maybe I can sit with you, I'm new in town and I have no drinking companions."

"Probably because they are still with the one you sold them to last night. Sit here if you must but my dagger and I are more then ready to end any certain discussions." He laughed a bit awkwardly.

"There is no flies on you girl, that's for sure. I'll just go get those drinks." He bowed and walked over to the bar. Madlien served him at took his money; he walked back to the table holding three drinks, two for Vailla and one for himself. "You know I didn't mean to offend you but young girls is what the people want right now and you are very pretty." He said carefully keeping an eye on that dagger.

"And dangerous. I haven't been having a very good week but I'm not sunk so low that I would become one of `your girls'." She replied coldly.

"I haven't seen you around here before, you just passing by?" He asked friendly while taking another sip of his beer.

"I thought you was new in town." Vailla replied quite calmly.

"I put my foot in it there didn't I?" He laughed a bit awkwardly. "I've not long came back from a business trip in Lays. But I haven't seen you here before, I was just wondering."

"Curiosity killed the pimp." She shrugged.

"I have you know that I am not a pimp. I just help my girls find jobs is all, I'm more of a helper of females who want to sell their bodies." He told her crossly.

"Well wasn't that interesting." She gulped down her last pint and put it on the table. "Well I wish I could say it was nice talking to you but I'm not going to lie." Then she stood up ready to make her exit but the weasel-like man grabbed her wrist. Vailla turned round and smiled. "I was kind of hoping you would want to play." She twisted her hand out of the man wrist and got her dagger ready. "If you don't mind can we take this outside? I know the lady who owns this place and I don't-" She was cut off by the man throwing his fist but she quite easily avoided that. "Fist fights!" She squealed in delight. "Yeah!" She then threw a punch that hit the man directly on the nose and caught him off balance. She then jumped on him and beat him to the ground. Three under-dress women came to their boss' aid. That fight with them mainly consisted off slaps, scratches and hair pulling while Vailla was quite enjoying herself punching the living daylight out of them. "Here have some purple eye shadow." She laughed as she gave one of them a black eye. Trigger blinked unable to think. Vailla was taking on four people at a time and was beating them. He was going to help but Vailla had only shook her head every time Trigger went to step in. But before Vailla could have any more fun with these clowns Madlien stepped in and she quite literally threw the four out on their ear. She then turned round and gave Vailla a flat unfriendly stare. "I'm not drunk." She replied innocently. Madlien's cold stare melted like ice and she laughed fondly at her.

"Why can't I stay mad with you? I don't think you should stay down here if you can help it. I'll have no furniture left." Madlien laughed. Vailla turned round to see two tables upside-down and one stool broken.

"I'm sorry about that, I'll pay for it honest." She replied a little sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I know that pimp, I'll get him to pay for it next time I see him." She laughed about that and walked over to Trigger. "You're going to have your handful with this one boy." She whispered in his ear and winked. Trigger laughed a little nervously and looked at Vailla. Her hair was a total tangled mess, her face had a few scratches and she even had a small nosebleed. This girl was tough. There was no doubt about that.

"If you insist on coming with me to Laces you better pack now, I'm leaving within the hour." She smiled sweetly at him and then rushed upstairs to pack.

They left about noon that day and were out of the village by one O'clock. Vailla had kept quiet for most of the time, Trigger accepted this but being a chatterbox he didn't have too much of a job filling he silence. It was a nice warm autumn day and the light breeze was accompanied by dancing golden leaves. The trail towards Sends was mainly marshland and they still didn't have a horse so they decided to go to Lin instead. This route was a lot more pleasant, the road was not too rough and wide-open fields were the scenery. It made them feel a lot safer then having trees surrounding them where their enemy could be lurking behind. Vailla had been looking at her Staff a little too often for Trigger's comfort but there was nothing he could do or say about it. "So how long will it take to Lin?" Vailla asked socially. Trigger quickly thought about it and shrugged.

"I'm not too sure. I'd say about two days maybe more. When I'm travelling alone I never really take any notice how long it takes me to get to one place. I enjoy the trip better then the location."

"I've only got six months to get there, do you think we'll make it?"

"With plenty of time to spare. Laces is far but the route there is mainly flat land and we'll have horses soon. I think we'll make it there in four months, five at the most." Trigger conceded.

"That's good. I'm not sure if I'll live in Laces but it would be nice…" She stopped herself before she could say anymore; she didn't want Trigger to know the reason she was going to Laces.

"When I get there I'm going to make loads of money, I've heard that the streets are paved with gold. What are you going to do once you're there Vailla? I know you are going to get those people for what they did, but wasn't the reason you started this trip was it?"

"I've told you before, I have to meet some people." She snapped. Trigger looked at her and knew instantly that she was hiding something.

"Who are you meeting there? Is it other sorcerers or just friends? You can tell me, after all we're friends aren't we?" He asked. Vailla had never had real friends before and it was her soft spot, she knew she couldn't keep secrets from him.

"I'm standing trial before the council. My mother was exiled for practising `witchcraft' which is a load of rubbish." She sighed. "My mother died a while ago, some people jumped her in the street and killed her. I've always thought they were robbers but now…" She forced back her tears and painful memories. "Since my mother is gone, I must take her place and stand trial as if I was her." Trigger saw the pain and sorrow in her eyes and his heart wrenched with pity.

"My mother died when I was still very young so I can't remember her, and my father died in a brawl outside Madlien's inn. She took me in until I was about eleven years old, I was taught how to steal from the punters and left Madlien so that I could make my fortune, but didn't really work like I thought it would. I go back to the inn whenever I can, Madlien is more like my mother then a friend. What I'm trying to say Vailla is that everyone has a past that they would rather not have but there is nothing that can be done about it so you got to look to the future." He laughed a bit dubiously. "I sound like an old woman don't I?"

"No, you don't." She sighed at looked at Hayley who kept close to her heel. "When I get to Laces I'm going to stand trial, I don't know why my father wants me dead but I'm pretty sure if he doesn't get to me before the trial that is were he is going to strike. My past and my mother's past still haunts me and I must get this over and done with before I make any plans for my future." Trigger wasn't sure what to say to her after that so he just smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

They walked in silence after that until the sun got tired and the magical sight of the twilight sky was above them. Hayley yawned and looked enquiringly up at them. "Okay Hayley, we'll call it a day." She smiled at her pet and picked her up, Hayley rubbed her nose against Vailla's and let out a happy little meow.

"Just curious, how long have you had Hayley? And where did you get her? I've travelled quite a bit and I've never ever seen a creature like Hayley before." Trigger asked. Vailla smiled and shrugged.

"I've had her for as long as I remember and so I don't have any idea where I got her. All I know is that she has always been there for me." She scratched Hayley behind the ears and giggled. "She always makes me feel better." Trigger smiled at this. There weren't many things that made Vailla smile like that and he was pleased for her.

"Okay then. Do you want to set up camp and I'll find some food? I'm sure there is some game round here that we can eat."

"Sure. But if you're not back here within an hour I'll come looking for you and oh…" She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a black talisman and handed it to Trigger. It was a black round disk made of some kind of stone. A very abstract drawing of an ear had been engraved and alien letters that Trigger didn't understand decorated the edges. "Take this. If you run into any trouble just hold this and call out my name, and I'll be able to hear you no matter how far you are."

"But why would I need it? I won't get into any trouble." Trigger objected. But Vailla just shook her head. "But what if someone comes after you while I'm gone?"

"I'll be waiting for them." She replied bleakly. "Go on, be off with you, I'm getting hungry."

It was getting very dark and cold when Trigger came back with one rabbit and some wild berries that he was sure were safe to eat. Vailla had got a healthy fire going and the tents were set up nice and strong. She had made it rather cosy around the fire. Trigger prepared the food and the little bunny was now burning slowly on the spit. "There is something I've been meaning to ask you. Can you do magic without using your staff or do you have to use it every time?" Trigger asked while poking at the fire with a stick.

"I could use magic without my staff, but not if I value my life. That's why I didn't try any magic when that man came into my room that night. My Staff channels magic and without it… POOF!" She made a jester with her hands to match with her last word. She saw that Trigger didn't understand and tried another way. "It's like picking up a hot piece of coal without tongs. Say my Staff is the tongs and my magic is the coal, if you pick up the coal with your bare hands you'll be burnt but if you use the tongs you're safe. Understand?"

"So say if your father didn't have his staff he wouldn't be able to use magic against you but you could use magic against him?" Trigger asked hopefully but Vailla just shook her head.

"That wouldn't work too good. For one thing sorcerers never let their Staff leave their side unless they are careless like I was, also even if he did leave his Staff I have a feeling that he would of cast a protective spell on it, unless he gave the his staff willingly to you, you can't touch it. But I'll manage somehow." She replied seeming to be oblivious to what real danger lay ahead.

"But how do you plan to defeat him then? You'll be destroyed!" Trigger sounded horrified.

"More then likely. That's why we're going our separate ways when we get to Laces, I may be destroyed but you won't." Her tone ended any further discussion but Trigger still persisted to talk.

"But how will I know if you're alive or not? I want to help you!" He almost shouted as though he had lost his temper but then his voice became more mild and understanding. "Please." He said gently.

"No." She replied simply. Then without saying anymore she walked over to her tent and fell asleep. He wanted to follow her but he decided not to and let her go to sleep while he stayed and watched the rabbit become crisp in the heat.

The room in which she stood was plain, white and very bright. There was no windows, doors or any furniture of any kind. It was like a memory long forgotten but suddenly revived and she welcomed it like a long lost friend. The room was filled with joyous colourful music that made Vailla's heart soar. It was a great symphony of a wide number of sounds that Vailla didn't recognise but love and enjoyed every note. A thin mist appeared only to disappear and reveal a beautiful woman dressed in a white satin gown, her long raven black hair cascading around her shoulders and down her back. Her huge green eyes were deep and meaningful; her lips with a dark red and stood out with her pale soft skin. "Greetings Vailla." She said her voice was rich and almost sounded like singing. The music around them dimmed until it was no more then a faint whisper.

"Hello. I gather there is some important news you wish to tell me, but please tell me this. Why do you appear to me in that form?" Vailla asked friendly, for this woman was a friend maybe even the oldest and most important friend in her whole life.

"Do you not like it?" She asked, her voice sounded very concerned and in a strange way very innocent.

"No it is perfect, you're beautiful. I was just wondering what gave you the idea is all."

"My fist master looked like this, I've always admired her." She smiled and giggled like a little girl even though she looked every much of a woman. "Silly aren't I?"

"Not at all." Her face then became deadly serious. "What is this news you bring me?" Suddenly the woman flared into an angry red glow that Vailla knew all too well.

"Your father wishes to possess me, that is the reason he wants you dead. You must not let that happen, with you dies the long bloodline of sorceresses, there are still hundreds of sorcerers and wizards in the world but you are the last sorceress. Also if he gains power over me the whole world in lost your father is an evil man and wishes only evil upon the world." She explained through clenched teeth.

"But how can he gain power over you if you don't let anyone touch you but me?" Vailla asked a little confused.

"I am forced to allow people with the same blood as my former master to touch me. Your father's blood runs through your veins, if he succeeds in killing you he can hold me and use my power combined with his own and there will be no one to stop him. At the moment he can't hold me because you are a more direct relative to the first sorceresses then he but after you're gone he will be the closest descendent. Does this makes any sense to you Vailla?" She asked softly.

"Sort of, but I don't need to completely understand to do what I have to do. With you in my hand I can do almost anything, so don't worry." She smiled.

"But a time might come when you cannot reach me, like that night back at the tavern. You possess your own power Vailla, don't be afraid to use it in a crisis." The woman told her sternly, but not harshly.

"But I can't do that! You know that I need you if I am to perform magic other wise I'll die. And I'm not no good to anyone if I die!" Vailla objected.

"You'll be surprised what you can do if you put your mind to it." She replied. The singing wavered and then when completely quiet, and was replaced with a voice calling her name. It was Trigger's voice she heard and it sounded very anxious. "You better go now, Trigger needs you." She shot her an impish like smile.

"What?" Vailla demanded she knew that her Staff was thinking of something that involved Trigger.

"Don't forget to invite me to the wedding." She laughed. Then she seems to dissolve into the lurking mist and the white room began to disappear too.

"Ha very funny!" She shouted into the mist, sure that her Staff would hear her.

Trigger was gently shaking her awake when she opened her eyes. She accidentally hit him in the face. "I'm so sorry!" She quickly apologised.

"That's alright." He rubbed his nose where Vailla had hit him. "Something weird is happening outside, I think you better come and look." Trigger quickly told her, his voice sounded out of breath and excited, as she looked questioningly at him. "Come on." He urged. So she threw of the blankets and rushed outside.

The sky was alive with pink fire; there were neither stars nor sun, and nothing, not even the trees so much as rustled. An eerie silence surrounded them and Vailla clenched her teeth. Trigger could recognise her anger; fore she showed it every time she talked about her father. Trigger slowly gripped her hand, hoping it would calm her down, but it didn't and she shook violently. Vailla held her Staff in her other hand and it too started to show the anger it felt. "Get ready to fight Trigger, I'll try and cover you the best I can." Trigger wanted to ask questions but before he could the pink glow suddenly darkened into a black mist only to clear and reveal deformed silhouetted figured that sniggered and howled with evil laughter. The one of the figured bounded past the fire and was headed straight for Vailla. It was a horrible creature that had long dripping fangs and brown matted fur that was covered all over its body. He was only about three feet high and its long dangling arms scrapped along the floor while it ran at a surprisingly fast speed for a creature of such short legs. Trigger was ready for him and had shot an arrow into it black evil heart just as it was about to jump on Vailla. The thing cried out in agony, green foam escaping its mouth then rolled over and died. Then with a massive war cry hundreds more of those evil little creatures came running out of the mist. Trigger fired repeatedly not missing his target once while Vailla kept firing at small clusters with lightening volts or fireballs. One of the creatures had jumped on Trigger's back, digging its claws from both his feet and hands into Trigger's flesh. He cried out in pain and dropped his bow. He bent over the best he could and grabbed a dagger from his boot and drove it into the creature's skull. It hissed and wailed as it tried to remove the dagger, but failed and fell twitching to the floor. He quickly gripped the dagger and swung it around hitting another creature in the face. Vailla was sweating profoundly and her attacks were not as strong as they first seemed to be but she was keeping the creatures at bay. She was trying to defend the best she could and the few that did manage to get to Trigger he was able to handle. He fought heroically ignoring his wounds and destroying the demons. She looked at him in awe for a few seconds, in some strange way she found him attractive but she quickly banished that thought from her head and carried on fighting. Then suddenly they all stopped and retreated back into the mist, where it vanished taking the demonic creatures with it but it was far from over. A man appeared in front of them. He wore a long blue silk robe and held a golden staff not unlike Vailla's. His eyes were dark almost black and he had thick black hair that joined to a neatly trimmed beard. He looked at Vailla and his lips curled into a cruel grin.

"Greeting daughter, I do hope my friends didn't bother you too much." He sniggered. Vailla did not trust herself to speak instead she just stood their staring at him and breathing heavily from the energy she had wasted. Trigger looked at the man and then Vailla. Her hair was wet from sweat and she looked very tired but her eyes showed determination and anger like he had never seen before. "Now be a dear and hand over your Staff." He said pleasantly.

"Never!" She snarled, her grip round her Staff becoming tighter.

"But you must, I have my hand wrapped round your boyfriend's heart, one tug and he will die." He explained while smiling at Trigger. It was true. Trigger could feel an unusual strain on his heart and he clutched his chest as if it would relieve the pain.

"You wouldn't." Vailla gasped. She looked desperately at Trigger and a warm tear ran down her cold cheek. Her father did not answer but instead just laughed. "Don't please." She begged, hoping her plea might touch his heart. What heart?

"Hand it over." He repeated and clenched his fist tighter and Trigger fell to his knees.

"No Vailla you can't." Trigger wheezed. Vailla looked at her friend, who was on his knees and prepared for death then she looked at her Staff. My own power she thought and then sighed.

"Promise to let him go free? With this Staff he is no danger to you and you'll never see us again." Vailla asked coldly. She was unsure of her power but it was the only way.

"I promise daughter. Your mother would be very proud of you." He replied coolly.

"Don't ever talk of my mother." She threatened quietly under her breath while she stretched out her hands and handed over the Staff, which glowed an encouraging blue.

"I have it!" He snatched the powerful Staff in his hands and laughed triumphantly.

"Have you release Trigger?" Vailla asked. Trigger stood up, no longer in pain.

"I am a man of my word, you two may go." He laughed and looked at the Staff once more. "Oh and Vailla, remember that daddy loves you." Vailla controlled her anger the best she could as she walked over to Trigger. She cuddled him and pressed her lips to his ear.

"Run. I'm going to do something in a minute and you may get hurt. Now run." Trigger looked at her hesitantly "I'll be fine, now go." She urged. Trigger took one look at her and kissed her then ran picking up Hayley as he did so.

He didn't know why he ran, he wanted to stay but it was as if some unseen force was driving him away so he kept running. Hayley was meowing and scratching, longing to be with her master but Trigger was stronger and kept a tight grip on the small creature. He could see flashing lights coming from behind him but still he kept running.

Vailla wasn't sure what would happen but she couldn't let this man keep her Staff. She summoned all her power like she would of done if she had had the Staff but this time she tried to channel it through her hand. Her whole hand became very hot as if she had stuck it into a fire. The sky above her began to flash black and white and she let out all of her energy and aimed it at her father with one gigantic scream. He was not expecting this but he tried to protect himself by holding Vailla's Staff in front of him but the Staff resisted his power and left him helpless. The huge blast of energy shot to the Staff where it exploded into bright flame and took Vailla's father's hand clean off. It crisped up in the heat and the Staff fell to the floor. Dumbfounded and unable to speak because of the shock he trembled while looking at where his hand had been. "Be gone." She whispered as loudly as she could. He didn't seem to have any will to do anything else and disappeared into a thick black choking smoke. The sky returned to its original peaceful state with sparkling stars and half a silver moon. Vailla looked at her own hand that was luckily still attached but was filled with pain. It had become red and blistered leaving charred fingernails and tight skin. She fell to her knees, nursing her burnt hand. Vailla reached out to her Staff with her one good hand and clutched it in comfort and joy, and then she drifted into unconscious.

Trigger had stopped running, horrified in what he had just done. Vailla was in mortal danger and he had run away like a frightened child. There was no noise or flashing lights behind him, what ever was happening had happened. He spun round and ran in the direction he had come, ready to fight.