“I don’t know. I didn’t realize they were.”
“They have superior numbers. They should be getting through. I am not even casting any spells.” She watched the line of bodies as they cut through the invaders. Then she saw him. Gaelyn was getting through. Teoni rooted him. “No, let that one through. I know him.”
“I am not letting him in. He’s a blood feeder.”
“Fine, I will go to him.” Thessa climbed down the earthen work and ran to him. His eyes were pleading. All she wanted to do was get him out of the fight and somewhere where she could lock him up safely. At least long enough for her mother to get there and cure him. She took his hand and immediately with the other hand, he stabbed Thessa with a dagger. She stepped back. He could not pursue her to stab her again since he was still rooted. He swung savagely trying to get at her but he could not move his feet. Thessa was in a total state of shock. She put her hand over her wound and fell to her backside, all the while Gaelyn was still trying to stab her. In her shock, she almost didn’t believe her eyes when she saw Sarren, now human once again, run past her. She watched as the woman made a direct line for Teoni. Since Sarren didn’t look like a blood feeder, Teoni didn’t root her right away. Thessa realized what Sarren was planning and broke a couple of men off the line to go after her. Teoni was too far away for her to yell a warning. Thessa had separated from her to go after Gaelyn. It only took a second for Sarren to surprise Teoni and plunge the dagger into Teoni’s heart, possibly believing she would take on the mantle of the Green Mage, but she was not truly alive, Thessa had resurrected her. Tanyth grinned in triumph as he entered the gates. She had played into his hands. Teoni went down and Sarren did with her. The green mist of the Green Mage left Teoni and entered Sarren. The woman stood and shouted in glee. She had done it. She was a mage again. She turned toward Thessa and wrinkled her nose in anger. She sprinted to where Thessa lay bleeding. As Teoni’s life force left her, the horde began to unroot and run into the arena. Thessa shook her head when Sarren reached her, “Sarren, the Green Mage is life and you have always been death. You have killed my friend for nothing. You are not like me. My mother cured me. I still smell the taint of death upon you.”
Sarren scoffed, “No, I will defeat you now. I have much more experience.”
“What you have done is not the way. You are not wholly among the living. You can’t kill a mage.”
Sarren bent down to cut the vines from Gaelyn, “I will finally have my revenge!”
Now, Teoni’s rooting spells and vines gave way. The horde began to advance. Gaelyn, when he got loose, was about to stab her to death. Abruptly, Sarren stopped. Green goo began to pour out of her mouth. “I told you. You are not whole, you cannot be the Green Mage.”
“But Tanyth told me…” She looked frantically or the elf.
“He lied.” Thessa said as Sarren deteriorated with a scream into a bubbling green goo.
Gaelyn broke free and Thessa caught the hand with the dagger and tried desperately to hold him off, but her injury was making it difficult, “My mother is coming. I can cure have her cure you!”
“I don’t care. You must die.” Gaelyn said in a terrible, angry voice.
“I was once one of you. She cured me. She can cure you too.”
“Die, die, DIE!”
Thessa closed her eyes, releasing the tears that were waiting to fall. She remembered how she took back the power from the blood feeder before and she willed it to happen again. She realized at that moment that she could take them all. She was responsible for all of them and she could take them all back. She leaned into Gaelyn’s ear. “I would have liked to have had the chance to love you.” She whispered. He was the first to go. His whole being disintegrated, and the power surged through her, healing her stab wound. She stood and focused on all the blood feeders, Tanyth’s and her own. She raised her arms, and they all began to go one by one, causing the dark power of death to began to surge into her.
Chapter 26: Futility
The first thing Thessa did when all the blood feeders were gone was to go to Teoni. Maybe she could resurrect her, She focused her power and let it flow into Teoni but nothing happened.
“You cannot resurrect her. It’s too late.” It was one of the dryads.
“I have done it before! I am full of power I can do it!”
“No, you are in the arena. That power does not work here.”
“I will drag her out of the arena.”
“It matters not. She died here in the arena. You cannot resurrect her.”
“But who will be the Green Mage?”
“That is already done. The Green Mage has been made anew somewhere in the six kingdoms. Ephaltus and Marlee will have to find the new Green Mage. Come, Marlee needs you. Take my hand and I will take you to her.”
“I didn’t know you could talk.” Thessa said as she reached for her tiny hand.
“Of course we can if we have something worth saying.”
“What about Teoni?”
“My kin will take her, do not worry.” There was a rush like a sudden wind, and Thessa found herself in a kitchen. “This is the kitchen of the Earth Chamber. Marlee is through that door.” She pointed the way.
Thessa
