Chapter Text
The heat was overwhelming. Everywhere she looked, flames flickered toward the night sky, a dense walls of fire enveloping whole units in one fair blow. The screams rattled her skull and shook the ground. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to be here. But, then again, neither did the monsters. They never asked for this. They never wanted to fight. But humans were blood thirsty creatures. Sometimes (Name) wondered if human souls were made of anything at all. She leaned against a nearby tree, enjoying the moment away from the bloodbath.
Suddenly, a man rode in in front of her, blocking her view of the carnage, and effectively cutting off her train of thought.
"You're not being paid to observe," the man said forcefully.
She shot a glare toward the taller man, "You're not paying me at all."
He scowled at the defiant reply. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards her, nearly grazing her nose, "Your kind is being paid with your lives. Now follow orders, or I'll be taking my payment back."
She shot another frown at the man, but did as she was told. She heard the galloping of the man's horse behind him, as she approached the battlefield. It was obvious that the battlefield was once a peaceful meadow, but now was a burning pit of death and destruction, much like how humans described "Hell."
This might as well be Hell, she thought. She looked around, absorbing the chaos and analyzing where the most effective use of her time might be.
She saw a wall of flames that was cutting off the soldiers' supplies and decided that she was most needed there. She sprinted between the trees and soldiers until she arrived at the flames. The wall was nearly 10 feet high, with no way around or through it. It perked her interest for a moment; no monster could have erected this without an extensive familiarity of fire. And no monster had that level of experience with such a destructive element, other than-. She shook the thought out of her head, the battle was still raging. She had no time to ponder if she was going to survive.
She breathed in slowly, focusing all her energy at a single point in front of her. She felt the air become moist around her as her hands went higher and higher, willing the air to become moister and moister. Soon she couldn't raise her hands any higher, but the rushing of water behind her told her that she didn't have to. She lowered her arms steadily, holding her hands in front of her chest. She closed her eyes, and breathed out, as she forcefully pushed her hands forward. The water split behind her, just big enough for her to fit through, and rushed forward in huge tidal wave. The wave crashed on the wall of fire, extinguishing it. The soldiers rushed forward replenishing there supplies and then back on to the battle field, not caring that it was sopping wet and slightly singed.
(Name) sighed a breath of relief, and turned around to provide her services elsewhere. Then, she heard the faint crackle of fire behind her and turned around and saw the wall raise again, twice as high than the last, but instead of burning a vibrant orange, this inferno burned white hot.
A curious hand reached out, and although all instincts told her not to, she stuck her hand into the blaze. She shut her eyes, expecting indescribable pain, but instead only a faint warmness flickered against her fingers. She inspected the inferno, trying to find some reasonable explanation for this. She reached in further, until her entire forearm was consumed by flames, but still felt no pain. When the other soldiers saw her arm inside the fire, but no pain registering on her face, they tried for themselves, only to get singed on contact. She quickly contracted her hand from the fire, not wanting to encourage more to try.
She forced herself to turn away from the blaze, only a two human units remained against the monsters, and try as they might, they were fighting a losing battle. The general was a stubborn man, incapable of admitting that they had lost, even if it meant saving his own men's lives. She scowled at the thought of the general, it were humans like him that caused this war, and were going to be the ones to end it, for better or worse. She was about to walk away, this battle was already a lost cause, she could've easily gotten away from the human military and this pointless war. But for some reason, she couldn't pull herself to do it. Something made her want to stay.
She approached the battle field with extreme caution. To her right was a unit of around 30 men with the general behind them, and to her left was a near identical unit. All of the soldiers stood tall, as they were trained to do, but she could tell they were terrified. She lingered behind the unit on her right, beside the general, when she saw the king weave his way through the rows of monsters. He stood before the human army and sheathed his weapon. The general steered to meet him. Even on horseback, the king was a head taller than the general, his fur was covered in dirt and dried blood and his regal clothes were singed. The monster army stood down at the sight of their king.
"We wish not to fight anymore, humans. No more blood will be shed here if you surrender. We will take no prisoners, all of you may leave unharmed," the king said. The soldiers glanced at their commander, who pursed his lips at the offer but made no move to interrupt the him. "But if you do not, we will be forced to finish what you started."
The general thought the offer over, brows furrowed and lips pursed. He scowled, and before he even spoke, she already knew the answer.
"Never!" the general yelled in response, unsheathing his sword. "We won't submit to you monsters any longer!"
The general swung at the king, who barely avoided the blow. He raised his sword to strike once more, and before (Name) could process what she was doing, she jumped forward and cast a spell to hold the general back. His arm struggled against the pull of her invisible binds. The king and his army stood in shock, his arm still reaching for his weapon to defend himself with. The king quickly drew back behind the frontline, looking at (Name) with silent appreciation and sympathy. The two armies resumed the battle, as (Name) released the general. He rode to her and drew his sword.
"Treacherous witch!" He exclaimed, "I knew we should have never let your kind join our ranks!"
His hand rose above his head, ready to strike. She bent her head down, waiting for the sharp pain of his blade, when a wall of white hot fire erected itself between her and the general, between her and everything; she was surrounded by the inferno, and something told her it wasn't safe to touch this time.
She couldn't see beyond the blaze, but the sounds around her were unmistakeable. All she could hear were the pained screams of humans and monsters alike as they met their demise. She even heard the general's voice curse out the monsters as he fell with a thud nearby. It lasted nearly an eternity, until a final scream swept across the battlefield as it fell into a eerie quiet. The sounds of nature had been obliterated; crickets didn't chirp, birds didn't sing, leaves didn't rustle, even the fire didn't crackle around her. The quiet was overpowering. She heard the faint sounds of orders being called to the monster army as footsteps trailed off to the distance.
She was alone. The monsters had returned to their camp and left her out there in a fiery cage. Suddenly, the quiet murmur of monsters approached her, one was the regal voice of the king the other was voice that she didn't recognize; it was soft, sturdy, and smooth, it spoke to the king as equals, but with a distinct tone of authority.
The murmuring stopped and the footsteps became softer and softer until she was left with the silence once again, but she still felt the presence of someone. A moment of quiet swept through the area, the quiet before the storm.
"What are you doing here?" A voice asked, the same that spoke to the king. "We didn't expect someone like you here."
"I suppose I could ask you the same question," she replied, sharply, "You and your kind have sworn off violence many centuries ago."
"You betrayed your own kin; fellow magic users, siding with the compassion-less humans. Why?"
"That doesn't answer my question."
"You didn't answer mine," they said, obviously irritable. He paused, awaiting her response. And when none came, he raised his hand slowly toward the sky, willing the wall of fire surrounding (Name) to creep toward her.
"You are in no position to disobey," he reminded her. "Now answer my question, witch."
(Name) grimaced at the term; humans have been using that term for generations to oppress her kind, and unlike the monsters, they never thought of assimilating it. She preferred the term sorcerer or even magician; anything but witch, or even worse, illusionist.
She started to feel the heat as the walls pushed in around her, squeezing any answer out of her.
"My people were threatened with extinction to join the human ranks as healers and protectors against monster magic. I have no quarrel with monster-kind."
There was a pause, the walls stopped closing in. They were not close enough to burn her, but close enough that if she made a wrong move they would.
"How can I be sure?" The monster asked. "How can I be sure that you won't try to kill me and my army if I let you out? Your kind have the soul and shape of humans and the magic of monsters. Not even you know what you're capable of."
"I won't," she replied.
"Prove it."
"Your king is alive."
There was a long pause between the two. (Name) was unsure if he'd accept her response, even though she saved the king's life, she was a prisoner of war, subject to any punishment the monsters seemed fit. Her kind were seen as traitors in the monsters eyes; a former ally turned to cause of their destruction.
"Most of my people didn't choose to join the war, out of the few who joined the war effort, only I fight on the war front," He said, willing the walls around her to descend.
When the smoke finally cleared (quite literally), before her stood a very regal looking fire elemental; he was nearly 7 feet tall (approx. 183 cm) with orange flames flickering on his form, he wore armor that looked more like a king's and less like a general's with a red cape that was tattered and singed from previous battles. Like most elementals, he didn't have much of a face, but instead had bright white marks where his eyes and mouth should be. He opened his mouth to say something to her, and she saw that his the mouth was jagged and looked almost sewn together, opening in some places and shut in others. It might have been frightening to many humans, but she found it rather remarkable. He was about to speak when a small, rabbit like monster made their way toward them. His fur was tan with light brown spots and the tips of his ears were dusted white.
"The king requests your and the witch's presence at once, General Grillby." the young monster said handing him a small paper.
The term made (Name) grimace again. Why were people so hellbent on using that word? It was one of the most offensive words someone could use to describe her people, and no sorcerer took kindly to the use of it. Once the young monster left they made their way to the monster base. Grillby made sure there was no way for her to escape, though escaping never once crossed her mind.
They made their way through the forest, toward the monster home base
"Is something wrong?" Grillby asked after a bit of silence. "You seemed a bit tense while I was talking to Hun Bun."
She smiled slightly at the name, "Hun Bun" fit the young rabbit monster perfectly.
"Nothing," She replied. "It's just that..." She stopped herself from speaking anymore, last time she told a non-sorcerer about her dislike of the term, she was quickly shot down by the ignorant humans. She had a feeling monsters might be the same way.
"Just what?" Grillby inquired. "If you have something you want to tell me, you better do it before we make it to base."
She didn't understand why she had to tell him before they were on base, but decided it was in her best interest to follow his instructions.
"My..." she faltered for a moment, doubting that he would accept her explanation. "My people don't like the term 'witch,'" she said, not meeting his (literal) burning gaze. "We find it oppressing, and I still haven't met one of my people who take kindly to the term."
"Then what would you like to be called?"
"Sorcerers or wizards are what we usually refers ourselves as, basically anything but 'witch.' Some of us tend to like the term 'mage' as well."
Grillby turned his harsh stare away from (Name), and continued walking to the base in silence. (Name) didn't try to start a conversation; there was nothing more that could be said. A long silence crept between the two, (Name) watched the trees pass, occasionally seeing a mage's cant burned onto the trees, an ancient form of writing only known to wizards and sorcerers. One in particular said, "Beware the light from above." She stopped in her tracks, which made Grillby come to a quick halt. He looked at her curiously as she studied the tree.
She touched the singed bark of the wood, many cants could only be read by touch, much like human braille but activated with magic, so that if a master or human did manage to learn the language, only part of the message could be known.
"Beware the light from above. They who burn the holy and impure to ashes, sending us away from heavens' light and toward the darkness of world below."
She lifted he hand away from the tree, lips pursed in thought. Most wizards were not religious people, they rejected the humans' blatant disregard for magic instead replaced with an omnipotent force pulling the strings for them. Hell was a word wizards only used to describe death, and Heaven was order or fate.
That would mean that this light will bring death to all, and destroy order in the world... She thought. But what does the world below mean?"
"Is something wrong?" Grillby asked, interrupting her train of thought.
She hesitated for a moment. "No, it's-." She backed away from the tree and returned to her spot next to Grillby. "It's nothing."
He opened his mouth to press her for answers, but she looked a bit spooked by what ever was on that tree, so he decided to ask her later. They resumed walking to the monster base. The closer they were to the camp, the less cants there were, mostly warning wizards not to approach the monsters. She started to wonder how her kind was treated by the monsters during the war, when a soft voice interrupted her inner monologue.
"...name," Grillby said quietly. "What is your name?"
She looked up at him, surprised at the sudden question. The only humans that ever asked for her name were those responsible for documenting her forced draft into the human militia, and even then they forgot it the next day.
"(Full Name)," She replied. "Your's is Grillby, correct?
He nodded and let a short moment of silence pass before he said, "We're close to the base. When we get there, you are to do exactly as I say, do you understand?"
She simply nodded in response, she had no other choice.
When they reached the base, (Name) was met with the sounds of the monsters celebrating their latest triumph.
Just as they were about to enter, Grillby held out his arm, signaling for her to stop. He looked around, for any listening ears, then turned back to her.
"When we enter, you are to stay directly by my side until I tell you so. Avoid eye contact with any monsters, even those who don't look threatening. Keep your hands behind your back and don't raise them above your waist." He paused for a moment. "And disregard what I say or do while in there, it'll be more difficult doing this any other way."
Before she could question him, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled in close to him. The gates to the monster camp opened, and all the noise suddenly stopped. She looked down at the ground and put her hands behind her, following his instructions. Even though she couldn't see the monsters, she could feel them staring directly at her and Grillby. Though, she knew that it was mostly her they were staring at. At first glance, even to monsters, she looked like a normal human, making the monsters hostile, but being a wizard is no better, in fact, it would probably be worse.
Grillby roughly pushed her through the crowd, keeping a vice grip on her. Soon enough the monsters resumed their celebration. They moved out of her and Grillby’s way, but were much less concerned with her now that they knew that Grillby was in charge of her. The two were approaching a large tent with two large silhouettes, one being the king's and the other being a much more feminine form. Two monsters stood guard in front of it and scowled at (Name) as she approached. She quickly looked away, remembering Grillby's instructions.
"Almost there." Grillby whispered under his breath.
Just as he said that, a monster noticed the two and approached. The monster was a tall skeleton with crack coming down from their right socket running down to their chin like a tear track. He was tall enough to meet Grillby eye to eye, and wore the same uniform as he did, except that his cape was white with red splatters at the edges.
Grillby sighed quietly. “Avenir…”
“Hey Grillbz,” Avenir said, putting a hand on Grillby’s shoulder. “Great work today, heard you gave ‘em hell.”
“Sent them to hell where they belong,” Grillby said, his voice was different than the one used when speaking to (Name) or the king. This voice had a hint of playfulness, but was still the stoic voice she was familiar with.
“That’s our Hellfire,” Avenir said proudly, patting Grillby on the shoulder. He looked down at (Name) who was doing her best to avoid eye contact with the skeleton.
“And who might this be?” He asked. “Your new pet, Grillby?”
Grillby flinched, his hand suddenly tightened around (Name)'s shoulder then released as suddenly as it tightened. “Cute little thing, isn't she?"
"She is. What's your name, human?" Avenir said, using his hand to push her head to look up at him.
"(Name)," Grillby replied before (Name) could.
"Were you always called that, or did Grillbz name you?" Avenir asked with a laugh.
"You know I couldn't come up with a name that fitting."
Avenir laughed, "You're right." He withdrew his hand away from (Name) and pat her on the head. "Visit my corp with your pet anytime you like." She could feel his gaze as he said, "I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun."
"I won't make any promises," Grillby replied.
Avenir laughed gave a quick wave as he walked off to join the other monsters. The moment he was out of earshot Grillby glanced down at (Name) and said, "I'm sorry about him, he doesn't have any morals when it comes to the opposing side. It's a lot easier to play along than start another argument with him."
"Does he have any 'pets?'" (Name) asked quietly.
"Your guess is as good as mine."