Chapter 15

Team Fashryn

(Fashryn, Tasha, Xana, Ressio)

Xana was surprised at the joy that filled her today, even with the nervous feelings stirring deep in her stomach. She finally had permission to remove the bandages and her injuries were all but gone at this point. Now she was on the airship along with the rest of her team and they were on their way to the settlement to complete their mission. 

The flight to their destination was a surprise to her. She had only ever flown once before and she had hated it. She had felt queasy during the entire ride as the airship rocked awkwardly under her feet for the entire flight. Once they had landed she swore she’d never ride in one again. A promise which was quickly proving difficult to keep when going into a career as a Caster.

This flight was different. Today she felt happy with every minute that passed for their entire flight as she sat and rested her head against Tasha’s shoulder. The two of them enjoyed the silence of each other’s company under the deck of the airship. A light hum from the machinery keeping them afloat was the only thing that could be heard. The small wolf Infurnal had never thought she could feel safe, but there was something magical about Tasha. Her presence helped put her at ease.

The ride felt too short to her as she felt the airship slowing and she caught herself before she grumbled in annoyance. She wasn’t able to hide the pout on her face though and Tasha laughed.

“I know we were enjoying the ride, but we got a job to do.” The muscular girl stood and reached down to help her smaller teammate up.

“Yeah, time to be professionals.” Xana mumbled in slight annoyance as they both checked their gear. A moment later they went up top to meet with the rest of the team. As they disembarked they saw Fashryn standing with a hand on her hip and a playful smirk, the sun already low in the sky.

“You two have a nice time all alone?”

Xana had spent a little time around Tasha’s sister, but still felt a bit uneasy around other humans. A scolding voice echoed in her head as her instincts kicked in and she lowered her eyes, her white hair falling into her face. A moment later she felt the hair being brushed away by Tasha’s hand.

“Why yes we did sis, and now we’re ready to get some work done, right?”

The wolf girl could only nod and pull at her jacket anxiously, adjusting it so it sat more comfortably on her form. She knew she had to focus on the mission, but at times it was impossible to focus on anything except the body she still was working to change.

“Hey, we gotta get this job done, don’t we?” Ressio called back to them as he was already headed towards the settlement. “Let’s show ‘em what we can do!”

“That guy’s got a new spring in his step ever since he finally got his Wand.” Fashryn laughed as the three girls moved to catch up with him.

“Do you blame him?” Her sister shrugged. “I swear it was like Dr. Flaire had it out for him. He was the only one who had to attempt it three times before passing.”

“Good point. I’d be eager too after all that he had to struggle with. Well, we all get a chance to prove ourselves today.”

They were greeted at the gate of the settlement by a mix of different Infurnal villagers. A number of the villagers looked so excited to see them, even cheering as they brought them deeper into their small village. Xana couldn’t fight away the smile forming as she felt the warm sense of being appreciated and accepted along with her team. It seemed Allison was right in sending the two young Infurnal cadet Casters on this mission to help ease the villagers’ worries.

There was a snake-tongued Infurnal with light green scales who stood at the head of the group of appreciative Infurnals. He started speaking with a slight hiss as the group of Casters-in-training was led to the center where a fire pit had already been started.

“We really appreciate you all coming out here. We know you gotta protect the other bigger cities, but Dean Asthyn has always looked out for the Infurnals ever since he was put in position some 30 years ago.”

“Of course. We’re happy to come and assist you in the name of the Caster Academy.” Fashryn smiled and gave a polite bow. They had been taught in class a good deal of the history of the Caster academy and Dean Asthyn was a large turning point in history. He fought for a decade before Infurnals were finally allowed to attend the school. It really was no wonder so many looked up to him, while many others questioned his loyalties. Throughout the years though, it had proven quite difficult to argue with his results. 

Always be confident. Xana reminded herself of the lessons they were taught in handling situations such as these as she stood firm and confident, despite the feeling deep in her stomach. Never show fear in front of clients and those you help. Get the job done as quickly and safely as possible. Fashryn continued to speak in her cool and calm manner, showing no sign of hesitation.

“If you can just tell us as much as you can about the people attacking you, then we can properly prepare and take the needed actions.”

Voices quickly started to mix with one another as all the different villagers began talking over one another. Some mentioned invasions at night, others talking about being attacked in broad daylight, another comment about the attackers using wands and yet another comment came out about how they had trained an IMP to work for them.

“Enough!” Ressio roared, loud enough to interrupt the torrent of fearful comments. As they all quieted down he took a chance to speak, pointing to the snake-tongued man. “How about just one of you tells us what’s going on? Maybe you?”

“Yes, sorry, it seems it’s hard to contain our excitement; knowing that you Casters have come to save us.” Xana noticed what he had called them and began to speak up, but a squeeze on her hand from Tasha got her to look into her eyes. The look she received helped her realize that it was best left alone as the snake Infurnal continued.

“The bandits normally raid us at night. About once every other week it seems. It’s been two weeks since they last came here, so they’re bound to return within the next couple of nights. They take most of our food and other supplies, leaving us with just the bare minimum to get by. We only have our tools, so we have little option in ways to try and fight them off.”

“We’re not scared of them!” One of the young children cried out bravely.

“Yeah! We want to fight back but the adults won’t let us!” Agreed another of the little Infurnal children.

Xana watched the small group of brave little children and she felt a chill run along her spine, reminded of the little children in her village she always helped keep safe.

“It’s okay.” The wolf Infurnal smiled bravely. “We’re here now to do our job, so you all can stay here and help protect everyone else.”

The group of kids cheered, hopping up and down as they began talking among themselves, making their plans for defending their home.

“And how many are there?” Fashryn asked the settlement’s leader as she took notes, relieved Xana was able to handle the kids so well.

“Only about half a dozen whenever they come into the settlement, but there might be a few more. They always come with weapons. They love waving their swords and guns around. They’re holed up in the caves to the east, and there’s hardly enough room for that many.”

“Swords and guns? How many have been hurt by them?”

“We’ve been quite fortunate. We never fight against them and so we’ve received nothing more than a few small scrapes and bruises. Still, they’re demanding more of us every time they come and soon we won’t have enough to live off of.”

The group of Caster cadets looked between one another as Tasha quickly calculated. Before another word could be said, she leaned over and whispered something into her sister’s ear. Sharing a look between one another, Fashryn gave a nod. She waited a few minutes until they reached the edge of the settlement before discussing the plan.

“All right. Ressio and Xana, you two stay here to guard these people in case any of the bandits come here. Tasha and I will go to face them ourselves. They see as full-fledged Casters, we’re going to have to perform to meet those expectations.”

“Isn’t that pretty risky?” Ressio questioned, scratching his cheek. “I mean, you two are good but you’re still going to be outnumbered going in there just the two of you. Not to mention you don’t know what to expect when you get there.”

“He’s right,” Xana added after him, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. “they could ambush you or have traps set up. They also know this land better than any of us and-”

“Are you questioning your leader’s orders?” Fashryn’s voice was stern and held the power of an experienced fighter. “Look, I know it’s not a guaranteed success. It’s dangerous splitting up our forces like this, but it’s most important we protect the clients. If anything does happen to Tasha and myself, then it’s up to you two to make sure you finish what we start. Understood?”

A heavy silence fell over the four of them as each of them thought over their current predicament. The air was tense as Xana fought back an angry growl at being talked down to by a human. She knew she was Tasha’s sister. She knew she was their leader for this assignment and had to respect that fact, but there was still an instant reaction she was forced to fight off.

“What if I protect the settlement and Ressio goes with you two?” Xana motioned to the mountains where the hideout was located. “It’s not super far. If you go now, before it gets too dark, you should be able to catch them before they’re able to leave their hideout. You might even get lucky and find the chance to ambush them! And any stragglers that might get through, I should-I can handle.” Her blue eyes shined with confidence as she spoke, fighting away the nerves she could still feel eating away at her. The other three looked between each other, Tasha with a proud smirk on her face and Ressio grinning excitedly at the idea of the fight ahead. 

After a moment of deliberation Fashryn released a tired sigh and nodded, waving her hand somewhat dismissively. “Fine. We don’t have time to discuss this any further anyways if we want to go along with this plan. We’re leaving now. Xana, be prepared for anything.” As she spoke she and the tiger Infurnal were already making their way out of the settlement and through the field to the mountains. Tasha took an extra moment to take the smaller girl’s hands in her own and give her a peck on the cheek.

“I know you can handle yourself, but you be careful.” The tall and muscular black girl gave her a soft smile and a quick hug before running to catch up to the other two Casters in training.

A small smile grew on the wolf girl’s face along with the heat rising to her cheeks as she watched them leave. Fashryn, a human, was using her plan and trusted her with such an important role. A fellow Infurnal like Ressio wasn’t arguing with her or belittling her attempts due to her smaller stature. And the brief yet sweet interaction with the beautiful Tasha was all the encouragement she needed to prepare her for whatever may comel.

Slowly, the golden sun lowered behind the mountains; giving the craggy peaks a beautiful and intimidating golden-orange tint. The colors reminded Xana of flames as they danced off the mountains. Normally she would have enjoyed such a sight, but now her focus was on how long it was taking her comrades. How long it was taking Tasha to return. She was keeping track as the hours passed; they had to have reached their destination by this point. Her fingers ran over her daggers sheathed at her hips, then her Wand clipped to her belt. She couldn’t let the possibilities scare her. She had to stay focused on the mission. The other three were skilled, she’d seen each of them prove it in their duels.

As night fell and a cool air began to run along the grassy plains Xana began to feel panic build inside of her. It had been too long. Something had gone wrong. She had to go check on them. Glancing back into the settlement, she turned and sprinted towards the mountains. 

Her feet pounded against the ground only a few times before she was stopped in her tracks by a gunshot. Her ears twitched as the bullet that missed her kicked up dirt and blades of grass inches from her foot. 

Not magic. Not a Wand. A regular bullet. A sniper?

She hadn’t even considered the possibility of the bandits using something beyond regular guns such as shotguns and pistols, and basic swords comparable to short swords and long swords. Based on what the leader of the settlement had told them, she never expected something like a gun capable of sniping at long distances. Only the armies had the rights to such weapons. Her eyes darted around, spotting only a few trees spread far about by the tall grass of the flat lands in this region. The trees. 

She didn’t have time to create a full plan and she began running, this time aiming for the nearest tree. Another gunshot, and she quickly lowered her body as far as she could manage, concealing her already small form the best she could in the tall grass. The gunshots echoed throughout the night sky, only seconds apart before she reached the tree.

Quickly grabbing the lowest limb, she pulled herself into the tree and looked through the branches. No one was there. There were more trees spread out around her, but the bullets were only coming from one direction. Another blast echoed and the tree limb in front of her burst, the impact knocking her out of the tree and her back slammed hard into the rough ground below her, the grass hardly softening her fall.

The pain couldn’t distract her. She couldn’t let some pain cause her to lay still and keep her vulnerable to attacks, and so she rolled over and pulled out her Wand as she hid behind the thick trunk of the tree. She waited a moment as she caught her breath, and nothing. No gunshots, no more bullets flying at her, not a single sound. The wind itself had stopped in anticipation of what might come next. 

Closing her eyes she tried to focus. Her ears twitched as she tried to pick up something, anything at all. She could feel her breathing steadying but the pain pulsing along her back was distracting her too much to focus. There was only one other option for her, no matter how much it scared her. 

She had made a promise to protect the Infurnals of this settlement, and her own concerns had pulled her away from her post. She had let herself run out into an open field without any thought. She had brought this upon herself, and she knew she had to fix her mistake.

She reached down and into her pouch, her fingers trailing along the 5 magic bullets, each one etched with different designs from her preparing them. She found the one she was looking for and quickly slid the bullet into the cylinder of her wand. Bringing the barrel to her thigh, she managed to ignore the pain from her fall earlier and focus long enough to pull the trigger and send the energy pulsing through her legs. A light, green glow wrapped around both her legs. She could feel a pleasant heat building in the muscles of her legs, her heart beating harder and her blood pumping faster.

Spinning out from behind her cover, she kept low as a bullet flew just overhead, eating away another portion of the bark covering the large tree. The tree straight ahead. That was the only possibility. Her feet dug into the ground and  kicked up dirt, giving away her position even as she tried to conceal herself in the tall grass. Still, the shooter couldn’t keep track of her new movements, bullet after bullet missing her by mere inches as she leaned and ducked and dodged with newfound speed. 

Never slowing down, Xana pulled out both her daggers and watched closely, her piercing blue eyes narrowing and focusing on her target. One more bullet. As she got closer another gunshot echoed out from the cover of the tree branches. Skidding and sliding to the side she managed to dodge the final bullet as she threw one of her daggers into the tree. A quick scream sent a wave of relief through her as she watched the body fall out of the tree and slam into the dirt, her dagger sticking out of her target’s chest.

The relief didn’t last long when she saw the shadowed image of the bandit moving, trying to lift his rifle. “Damn you Fur beasts! Just die!”

The words dug deep, but she knew better than to allow them to distract her from her mission. Before he could aim the gun at her she was already above him, kicking the gun out of his hand and moving over him. The cold steel of her second dagger touched his throat as she glared at him.

“Where are my friends?” the words came through as a low growl as she bared her fangs. The bottom half of his face was covered by a mask, but his eyes were fierce yet old. Old enough to be her father, and he had been so ready to take her life. To harm the Infurnals that were simply trying to make a life out here.

“Friends? You mean those kids that tried to take us all on? Hah! They’re probably dead by- Ah!” An ugly scream came out as she pressed her free hand to her dagger still stuck inside of his and she applied her weight, driving it deeper. “Dammit! We saw them coming so our boss told me to look for any stragglers! You really think green kids like you all should be out here fighting against us? The adults who actually know what struggle really is? Your little friends never had a chance!”

Fear washed over her as images of her comrades, of her teammates ran through her mind. The three of her allies could be ambushed, beaten, possibly even tortured for information relating to Casters. If they weren’t killed on the spot.

Closing her eyes tightly to fight back the tears and shaking her head to clear her mind she grabbed the bandit and roughly pulled him up, binding his arms behind his back with the manacles they were each provided along with their assignment. Capture when possible. A captive always has the chance to prove themselves useful later on. 

The wolf Infurnal checked the manacles, tightening them further in anger before shoving him forward back towards the settlement. Like Fashryn had stated, they had to protect the people and complete the mission. She could always mourn later.

The inhabitants of the settlement all cheered her on in her victory when she handed the thief over to them.

“You did it girl!”

“I told you the Casters could do anything!

“You’re real life savers!”

“You earned a rest girl!”

The appreciation and celebration all felt so off to her and she gave the last remark a weary smile but shook her head. Her legs were aching after the exertion of so much magic coursing through her body. The idea of falling into a soft little bed and letting her emotions wash over her was exactly what she needed right now, but the mission still wasn’t over. 

Images of Fashryn, Ressio, and Tasha reaching the bandit’s hideout flooded her mind. They were all skilled, but the bandit’s words struck through her thoughts. He was right. They were kids. Kids going against adults. Adults who had already fought and killed before and weren’t afraid to kill again. 

Wiping away a tear she turned to leave the small hut as she retrieved the calling stone from her pocket. She would have to report the capture of the bandit and his words back to the school. Hopefully the dean would be willing to send reinforcements, real Casters that may have a chance of rescuing her friends.

“Why the long face?” 

She recognised the voice and she couldn’t fight back the urge as a new burst of energy swelled inside of her and she ran up and hugged her, her small frame almost enough to knock Tasha off her feet. It took her a moment to realize her own actions and she quickly stepped back, seeing that she was accompanied by Fashryn and Ressio who were each leading another member of the gang in ropes. Her friends were bruised and beaten and dirty just like her, the tiger Infurnal now bore a deep scratch on his left cheek that would certainly scar, but they were all alive and looking proud and confident.

“You did it?”

“Hah! Of course we did! Think we’d let some nobodies like these take us out?” Ressio laughed as they all made sure the thieves were properly restrained in the same tent for easy observation.

Xana smiled as she rested in Tasha’s muscular arms by the campfire and watched  Ressio join the villagers, all of them dancing and eating in celebration at the team’s success. They had done a good job on their first mission. They had all survived.

“I was scared, you know. It took you all so long to get back.” Xana’s voice was soft, embarrassed at doubting the capabilities of her peers.

“I know. It got a bit scary when they managed to surround us, but with Ressio helping we had enough firepower to fight back. If it had just been Fashryn and me-” Tasha smiled down at the wolf girl and kissed her cheek. “Your suggestion saved us.”

Next Chapter: Aftermath