Fraud Queen

Chapter 2

Rain. That's all that you hear, Staris thought in annoyance as she and Ze walked through the woods. Drenched in their clothes from the downpour, for the limbs of bark above their heads allowed the sky's raging waters to rush down upon them. Staris let out a groan and splayed her hand in the air, attempting to use what was considered illegal. Magic. A cold chill was sent through her fingertips as the tiny droplets hardened in the sky and merged. The wall of frozen ice droplets covered their heads as Staris held it up. Ze stayed close beneath the icy shelter and walked ahead. It was a long walk as the trees thickened, the rain coming to an end. Staris waited for her friend to move before letting the ice wall shatter to the ground. Rubbing her hand, she glanced around. The soaked forestry had the sound of crunching, sloshing footsteps slowly surrounding them. Figures emerged with weapons out and aimed at them. Staris looked for who seemed to be the leader. Eyes falling onto who she guessed was the leader, her new opponent having a tough, challenging appearance. Beside him, was a much shorter girl, maybe the same age as Ze. Her black hair dangled behind her as she watched, an innocent smile looking back.

"Magic isn't very common, Ranger," he spoke, causing Staris's attention back to him. "I wonder why someone like you has such things to your use."

Staris rose her brow slightly and laughed. "Ranger? Has it come to assumptions already?" She stood tall, her hands finding their way to the hilt of her swords.

"I am, you are wearing their uniform- the cape at least- after all," he said, eyeing her swords. Then, he laughed. "Or it all could be fake."

"That is my business to know, fool," Staris growled, her brow furrowing slightly. "Now, move your men out of my way before I make my way myself."

The mercenary looked taken back and shook his head, chuckling.

"Excuse my manners then, for now, allow my so-said apprentice begin. Lillian, introduce yourself," he said. The girl smiled. The girl assumed as Lillian walked out in front of Ze and Staris with ease. She began to perform a curtsy, starting to speak.

"Hello, I am Lillian, nice to meet you," she laughed as she quickly stood. With a flick of her wrist, two darts were sent into Ze's chest, paralyzing him. She then lunged to her other opponent's back and pressed a dagger against Staris' throat.

"Ten out of ten, now, Ranger, what do you currently posses?" The man growled.

"Do you include a smart mouth, an idiot, and my swords that will be lodged in your stomach if you don't let us be?" Staris challenged, unfazed by the weapon at her throat. She began to wait for an answer, counting how long it would take. By ten seconds, she moved a step back from the dagger and spun around Lillian and grabbed the girl by the wrist. Her hand clenched around the child's wrist as she faced the mercenary who remained nameless.

"Now, I advise you to let us go, so dear Lillian doesn't meet a deadly fate," she said, allowing the rain that touched her freeze onto the child. Lillian looked at her leader with big eyes, unable to move herself away.

"You have no idea who you are messing with," he said with disbelief. Spreading his arms out wide with a smirk, he introduced himself. "I am Morgan. Does that ring a bell, Ranger?"

Staris wasn't able to answer, for Morgan flicked his wrist and a ring that remained on his hand glowed faintly. The ice Staris had created around Susan melted away. She looked bewildered as she stared at him, for a few seconds, then gasped and stumbled. Her energy suddenly seemed to disappear, and she tried to recreate the ice she had. However, that only resulted a throbbing pain that filled her skull. The magic seemed to disappear from her grasp. Excruciating agony began to blur her mind as she unsheathed her swords, trying to ignore the diminishing energy she had in her.

"H-how does an idiot such as yourself have that kind of ring?!" She stuttered in a strained voice, looking at him. Barely holding onto her conscious mind, she raised her swords and leaped forward towards him. Staris felt metal hit flesh, but instead, the scream escaped from her. Her hands dropped the blades she had as she staggered away as Shannon pulled the blade back. She coughed violently and fell to her knees. Body trembling and shaking, she felt a foot kick to the ground. Shouting, she could hear shouting from a male's voice, but then it went dead. Her vision went dark as her sight was two people standing above her.