it—Icarsus!”
“Icarsus Ptero!” Marian chanted, narrowly missing the attack. She faltered; her spell wasn’t strong enough. The ogress prepared to swing again.
A violent thrust catapulted Marian forward to the ground beyond the fang grass. Odd, the club that the ogress was swinging hacked the air but it should have smashed her senseless but instead she felt a blunt pain on her back where she supposed it hit her. Marian turned around and she suddenly knew why: behind her lay the blood soaked wind mage.
“Phoebe!” Marian said, trying to shake the motionless mage up. Phoebe had taken the full damage for her. Instead of overt joy at being alive, Marian felt a griping ache in her heart. Oh no. Phoebe can't be dead. Who else was going to teach her magic? Who was going to scold her when she was being reckless? Listen to her rant? Or be her friend? Marian felt her hands ice over. Be her only friend.
She laid an ear on the mage’s chest, listening...Thud. Thud. Thud. The sound was too soft but relief washed over Marian’s face. Phoebe still looked deathly pale but she was alive. Now Marian has to do something before Phoebe really takes in her last air. The ogress growled.
“Oh, shut up!” Marian shouted back. She had almost forgotten the ogress was still there; she was too worried about Phoebe. The ogress grunted again before heading back to the south. Marian could have sworn the grunt sounded like the ogress wasn't through with her. But she couldn't think about that now.
She reached for Phoebe’s bag which tangled around the mage’s waist, hoping there would be something there: a potion or anything that could help Phoebe recover.
“You’re not thinking about stealing again, are you?” Phoebe said faintly. She managed a wry smile.
“Phoebe! You’re ok?—You’re covered in blood—and the ogre—and I—wait—what? No, of course not!—Are you alright?” Marian said, frantic.
“You’re not making any sense, kid.”
“Do you have another healing potion?” Marian said, continuing to rummage around the pack.
"Just hand me a schroom—"
"Of course! It should stop the bleeding. Why didn't I think of that," Marian said, like lighting she took a handful of the putrid mushrooms and roughly stuffed them in Phoebe's mouth.
"I said…only one..." Phoebe said after she almost choked on the mushrooms.
"We have to get out of here before the ogress finds a way around the fang grass colony. Can you do an Icarsus?" Marian said.
"I'm too weakened to cast any spell. You have to take me to the wind guild. They'll take care of me there," Phoebe said, motioning Marian towards the fang grass.
"Oh no! You can't possibly be serious. Over them? I can't, Phoebe. I can barely support you when we are on the ground!" Marian said, realizing what Phoebe wanted her to do. Has Phoebe forgotten what happened awhile ago? She couldn't even cast a decent Icarsus for herself much more while carrying someone else.
"The ogress will hunt you, make no mistake about that. Your scent will lure her to us and I don’t have it in me to do another spell," Phoebe said as she faltered on her steps, dragging Marian with her.
"What if—"
"The only reason you failed was because you were afraid of the ogres, and that is understandable. After all, you're only seven—ok, ok, ten—you're only ten years old. But Marian, there are no ogres here now. Just concentrate," Phoebe said, breathing heavily after the long speech.
“Alright,” Marian said, nerving herself for the immense task, “I’ve practiced many times. I can do it. Except—”
“Except what?”
“You’re big!” Marian said as she looked up at Phoebe, thinking about how she’ll manage to get an adult across.
“You’re just small. Anyway, it matters little with magic,” Phoebe said as she held Marian’s little hand, “Fly higher so I don’t dangle too near the colony.”
Marian took deep breathes, mentally preparing herself for the big leap. “Don’t let go,” she said to Phoebe in a voice that quivered.
“No worries. You wanted to be a mage, and now you’re a wind mage, kid. Now, take the first step and chase the wind!”
Marian nodded, looking ahead.
“Icarsus Ptero!”
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