The Brave

The Braves 24 Hours

My boots crushed leaves as I walked along the path. The woods darkened as the canopy thickened. Adrenaline seeped into my blood. The first part of the plan worked almost perfectly. Now I just needed to get back to my ship and-
"Arg!"
I fall to the ground.
Dirt smears against my hands. I clench my teeth and my hands curl into fist.
"Arg." I curse.
My body starts to tremble. A sharp pain digs into my ankle.
A voice comes from the woods.
"It's good to see you again mutant."

——
A chilled breeze kicks up dirt and decaying leaves from the forest floor. Thick tree tops caught the falling light from the night sky, leaving the path to the outpost dark. All noise of wildlife was silent as the struggle in their woods made the atmosphere tense. Coins littered the ground. The green, thorny plant called smilax, twisted around my boot, then cut through my pants and dug it's thorns through my skin. I lay on the path. My hair fell in front of my face. My eyes watered and I shouted in pain as I felt my magic get torn out of me by the growing plant. I felt myself growing weaker. I gasped for air as my breathing slowed. I saw my hair turn brown. My palms lost their connection to my magic.

"Burn." I huff.

I reach for my sword that was on my side and pull it out of its sheath. I raise my steel sword at the root of the smilax that was slowly digging its green thorns deeper into my tan skin. Yet, before I could swing at the plant Burns brown combat boot kicked my hand. My right hand immediately dropped the sword and my left hand holds my hand as throbs in tune with my heartbeat. Burn kicks my beautiful sword away from me and points at me while glaring at the twin Gymphs.

"Weeds! Force her hands down. We can't have her pulling anymore stunts!" He growls.

Smilax breaks through the forest floor. I yank my wrist away from the plant as it came near. More of the plants came out of the ground and had me surrounded. While trying to avoid one of them I led my wrist straight into another one. My wrist were tied to the ground in no time. Burn towers over me.

"Remember when we first met Cordelia? You were so trusting. You told me all about your ship full of gold, and your magic, and you even showed me this..." Burn grabs my arm and pulls up my sleeve.

Revealing the black M that Ahab scarred on me forever. I look away from it. Shame burns inside me. If I wasn't a mutant my parents wouldn't have died. Ahab would've still respected them. Burn grabs my face and forces me to look at the M. I remember the burning metal being pressed into my flesh on my birthday. To forever remind me that I do not belong. Burn could clearly see the pain the memories brought me because he said,

"Don't be sad Cordelia, because when I am done with you, you won't be a mutant anymore, you will be human, magic-less, weak."

Burn had a wild grin on his face and his eyes were bright. I snap out of my thoughts and narrowed my eyes at him.

"I won't let ye take me magic!"

Burn lets out a small laugh.

"Heh. You won't have a choi-"

Burn stops when his red eyes notice a few gold coins scattered across the ground. He follows them to the bag of gold I stole from the outpost. He looks at me and tips his head.

"It looks like you've been up to no good. Who did you steal from?"

I curl my hands into fist.

"I thought ye wanted me to be less trusting. Why would I tell ye my secret?" I snap.

He finds my comment amusing.

"Don't start thinking that you have the upper hand here Cordelia, because you are dead wrong. I am in control. Not you." Burns claw earing dimly glows red.